My Little Pony: Twilight's Requiem:
by Pika53
Summary: While venturing into the Everfree Forest at night to investigate a strange light, Twilight finds herself trapped in the midst of dilapidated ruins in a long-forgotten testing facility. Enlisting the help of both old and new friends along with some strange... constructs; she must escape… or die trying. Human in Equestria. Please read and review.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer - I do not own My Little Pony or Portal.**

**My Little Pony: Twilight's Requiem:**

**by Pika 53**

**Arc #1:** Arrival

**Prologue:**

In a chamber located deep beneath the surface of Equestria, a strange mind performed analyses and calculations as lines of binary code flickered rapidly across a nonexistent surface, interrupted occasionally by coherent lines of text that resembled remnants of the thought processes of something biological. The mind belonged to a large mechanical device suspended from the center of the room called the _Galactic Lunar and Deferent Orbital System_ or _GLaDOS_ for short. After what had to be ages of inactivity, the system had recently come back to life… and judging by the state of decay within the facility, the years hadn't been kind.

The chamber the device resided in was like an arena with large walls coated in a mixture of gray and white. Except for the main body, half a dozen large computer monitors, and a small platform beneath, the room itself was relatively empty.

To say that GLaDOS was busy would be an understatement as _she_ over-saw the reconstruction of the Equestrian Science Magic-aided Enrichment Center, re-stabilized the nuclear reactors, repositioned the chutes, brought the neurotoxin system back online, cleared out the waste and prepped the testing chambers acid mix, worked on fixing up the glitches in the system, and finally over-saw the production line of the turrets and the construction of some of the most complicated and well-designed test chambers for use by _guests_.

Her job wasn't exactly easy. She had to keep constant vigilance over the entire enrichment facility in order to make sure everything was up and running for when the time came to challenge subjects on their mental abilities and accelerate the age of science. The exact purpose her creators had given her. . .

Speaking of subjects, GLaDOS made a note to _acquire_ some of the locals for _testing_ purposes.

Glancing at one of the many monitors, she noted that reconstruction of many of the upper test chambers to mimic the _surface world_ above was progressing nicely. It wouldn't be long before testing would begin.

As she continued watching, GLaDOS had to wonder why good help was so hard to find these days. Speaking of good help, you would think that being a super computer who had been crafted by the world's most brilliant scientific minds to ever grace the Equestrian Science Magic-aided Enrichment Center; that one of them would've left GLaDOS with a few decent A.I. programs for her to fiddle with? However, all she could do with the A.I's present was to create a pair of brilliantly made, but_ less_-than brilliant performing pair of stooges she'd affectionately named: Atlas and P-body.

On another monitor, GLaDOS watched the said workers as they tried to figure out how to carry the Equestrian Science Weighted Storage Cube through the Emancipation Grill without disintegrating it. Honestly, it was such a simple puzzle; even she couldn't help, but mock them for it . . . no more than usual that is. Of course, she was mostly in it for the science, but would it kill anyone to show her a little appreciation every once in a while?

She was currently holding the pair on recording, so if she missed anything important (which she doubted) she could just rewind and watch it again. The thought suddenly occurred to GLaDOS that she might be able to maximize her efforts if she had a body beyond a suspended hunk of uninspired metal and a single eye-piece. A quick series of calculations confirmed all possible effects of such a radical transformation.

Moments later, a gentle glow began on the platform beneath GLaDOS' main body. When the glow faded, a semi-solid, regal looking, alicorn mare stood with its eyes closed. Opening its eyes, the mare trotted down from the platform and took in its surroundings with a newfound sense of intrigue. Dropping her gaze from the now silent machine, the mare smirked to herself. Although they were psychically connected, the possibilities this new body presented were too great to ignore.

Raising a foreleg, the mare summoned a mirrored panel and took in her new appearance. She had a lush dark coat with large wings, folded ever so neatly. Her mane was like stardust and it flickered like angry blue fire around her grinning face. Her eyes, large and aquamarine, took in every detail with profound interest.

"_This form shall do nicely__._" GLaDOS' voice purred from the mare's lips.

As the panel disappeared from view, GLaDOS noted that Atlas and P-body had reached the next test chamber. This one requiring participants to carry the Equestrian Science Weighted Storage Cube up a shaft and through another Emancipation Grill without disintegrating it; all while avoiding a series of strategically placed spike plates. Neither of her minions seemed particularly skilled at the task.

"_**I can't decide which is my favorite; the crushers for crushing you or the reassembly machine **__**for putting**_ _**you back together so you can be crushed again.**_" GLaDOS mocked over the intercom; rolling her eyes at the spectacle.

It was times like these; she wished that the Euphoric System would work its magic as it did for her so very long ago. If only her body hadn't built up such an immunity to it, she probably would've been (somewhat) kinder to the pair. But again, what did it really matter; they couldn't die… and they had no way to communicate if they felt pain or not.

"_Well, back to work._" she murmured, turning her attention to another screen as she began calling up information on the world above.

After all, there was a great deal for her to learn.

* * *

Sitting in a library built into a giant tree, a young violet unicorn sat staring through a telescope, stargazing. It was a bright, clear, starry night with a light breeze and she marveled at all the surrounding stars and constellations; knowing that Princess Luna put great effort into her creations. Even though she didn't have her Astronomical Astronomer's Almanac to All Things Astronomy, the young unicorn wasn't worried. She could remember most of it anyway.

Chuckling softly to herself, Twilight Sparkle turned away from the telescope and let her gaze drift around the room. Lying in a basket not far away was her number one assistant 'Spike'.

He was mumbling softly to himself in his sleep, prompting Twilight to giggle again as she made her way downstairs to get something to drink. Upon returning to the room the pair shared, Twilight decided to forgo using the telescope and let her gaze idly drift toward Canterlot. She hadn't heard from Princess Celestia in a while and wondered what her friend and mentor was up to. After staring dreamily at the capital for a few minutes, Twilight was startled by a sudden flash of light outside her window that made her feel somewhat dizzy.

Groaning, Twilight blinked and shook her head; a troubled look crossing her features as she tried to make sense of what had just happened. Minutes later, the light appeared again. A panic the likes of which she hadn't felt in some time gripped Twilight as she bolted to her hooves; recognizing where the light was coming from. The Everfree Forest.

She was about to shout at Spike to take a letter, but the peaceful look on the baby dragon's face changed her mind. Instead, she rushed downstairs and quickly wrote a note explaining her actions before frantically packing her saddlebag with supplies and exiting the library to investigate the source of the strange light she'd seen.

Sometime later, Twilight stood at the edge of a tall cliff. Behind her loomed the dark woods, even more dangerous and frightening in the middle of the night. Before her was a rickety plank bridge, swaying ominously with the cool wind. On the other side of the bridge lay the ruins of a once-majestic castle, reduced now to mere walls for moss to grow on.

The breeze swept through her mane, lifting it off of her neck and waving it like a triumphant banner. She took a step onto the bridge, steadying it with a hoof before breaking out into a brisk walk. The planks nearly disintegrated under her back hooves as her weight left them, but she pressed on, a look of determination on her face.

It didn't take very long to reach the other side and the ruins beyond.

Trotting across the moss-covered ground, she was almost disappointed to find the area empty. She strolled into the ante-chamber, or what was left of it. Two tall, black-stoned walls stood like stoic guards, ignoring her presence as she passed them. In the middle of the ante-chamber was a large statuesque piece, like an inverted chandelier. Seven spokes drew out of the center of the ornament, ending in empty, curved bowls.

Twilight was certain that the light she'd witnessed had come from this very place, and she had a sickening feeling that whatever was here was up to no good. As she continued, Twilight illuminated her horn; a purple light glowing a small aura around her. It wasn't much light but it would be enough to search by.

She stopped, listening. A strange, quiet grinding noise, like metal gears, caught her attention. It was muffled as if far beneath her. As far as she knew, as far as she remembered from that panicked night, there was no basement to this castle. What would be making such a noise? More importantly, who would be making it?

She gulped and pressed on through the ante-chamber, entering the throne room proper. Dim moonlight seeped in from a large hole in the far wall. Moth-eaten remnants of royal carpet led up to a small rise where two thrones had once sat. Thieves, probably, had made off with the royal seating, as the rise was now bare. As she approached, stepping lightly onto the center of the rise, Twilight noted that the grinding was louder here; echoing from deep below the ruins, a hollow, miserable sound. The ancient stones, sitting dormant for hundreds of years without knowing the weight of a pony, began to shift under her hooves.

Moments later, the ground broke.

In her panic, there wasn't time to teleport away. She fell...

* * *

Wandering through the world famous Canterlot Sculpture Garden by moonlight would be considered by most ponies to be a romantic affair for two star-crossed lovers; but for Trixie, it was nothing of the sort. An upcoming show, the biggest of her life, weighed heavily on her thoughts, and she needed this time to calm her mind. Turning her head back and forth to gaze at all the different statues around her, each of which represented a different aspect of harmony; Trixie, formerly the Great and Powerful Trixie, would have found the experience inspirational had she not had her mind focused on tomorrow night.

'This is it, Trixie.' the light blue unicorn thought to herself as she made her way through the darkened hedges.

Only a few firefly filled lights, hanging from wooden poles, lit the grounds below them, just enough for the showmare to see by.

'This is your big comeback. You can't screw it up. It's taken you too long to get to this point and there are no more second chances.'

The harsh sounds of her hooves clopping against the ground, much harder than was necessary, broke her out of her musings. Trixie frowned and forced herself to trot at a more sedate pace. She couldn't allow that particular nervous habit of hers to potentially chip a hoof on a stray rock. It would be one of many things that she didn't need to deal with in preparing for the following night's show.

"Calm down, girl." Trixie said aloud, hoping the sound of her voice would quell the growing unease that she felt.

"You'll do fine. In fact, better than fine. To really impress those stuck up nobles, you _need_ to see that statue. Everything will be perfect once you do."

Trixie grinned, now imagining the shocked looks of the aristocracy before her.

"I can't wait to see their faces. I'll bring the worst threat this world has ever seen right before them. They'll never see it coming. Tomorrow, I'll knock 'em dead! The premiere showing at the Grand Galloping Gala!"

Trixie's face lit up with a joyous grin as she reared up on her hind legs and neighed in delight. Finally, her chance had come! Just a little more research and she'd have the most perfect performance of her life! A surge of excitement coursed through her, and with that, Trixie lowered herself down to all fours and took off into the depths of the sculpture garden.

Sometime later, Trixie stood in front of the object she sought. It had taken a while to find, but Trixie now stood before the stone statue in the absolute center of the garden. She gazed up at the misshapen form of a draconequus, its already gruesome form made all the worse by the horrified expression it had on its face. It was hard to look at and not grimace what with all the random parts of other animals making up its body. She could certainly see why this thing was called Discord.

"Ugh. What a hideous beast." Trixie muttered but didn't hesitate and began circling the statue.

She took in every detail, all the way from its goat horn and deer antler, down its serpentine like body to finish at the lizard and goat appendages that made up its legs. She swished her tail back and forth as she went, causing some dust that had accumulated on the statue's feet to flutter off. After a few orbits, she sat down in front of the statue and concentrated. A soft light, colored a light purple to match her eyes, surrounded her horn. Soon, an image began to take form just above her. The image began with an outline of the draconequus, but more details were added in as the unicorn focused more of her magic into it. Eventually, hovering just above her, a transparent but otherwise perfect copy of the statue resting above her.

'Much better than those fireworks I used to use, but this is just the start.' Trixie thought with a smile.

'Now that it looks right, let's add some color. Can't impress anypony with it being all grey. Let's see, what did that window in the tower look like again? Ah, like _this_!'

She focused harder, using the color scheme of the stained window depicting Discord to, as the teachers would say in school, "Color within the lines."

Partway through the _painting_ process, Trixie was startled by a sudden flash of light that made her feel somewhat dizzy. Groaning, Trixie blinked and shook her head; a troubled look crossing her features as she tried to make sense of what had just happened. Seeing nothing, she returned to her work. In moments, she was finished. The draconequus was no longer just a grey figure with a stone texture. Instead, a light brown covered the fur on the serpentine body; a deep red flowed down the dragon like tail, yellow and green spread across the hands and feet and finally, yellow filled in the eyes with a set of asymmetrical red pupils. Trixie's illusion was finished. Discord had come back to life.

"_**Not bad, little filly.**_" A feminine voice suddenly spoke up.

Trixie blinked and looked around to see who had snuck up on her and had spoken.

"Who's there?"

Despite turning in a full circle, the unicorn didn't see another soul in sight.

"_**I think you'll do nicely.**_" The voice said again.

"Show yourself to Trixie!"

"_**Soon enough; but first I need you to take part in a few tests for me.**_"

"Trixie will not!" she retorted hotly and quickly dispelled the image of Discord.

Her horn glowed brightly, ready to fire off one of the new spells she had learned just in case she came across something bigger than herself. The incident with the Ursa Minor would never happen again.

"Whoever you are, you'll be sorry for messing with me!"

The voice chuckled.

"_**We'll see.**_"

Unfortunately, nothing could have prepared Trixie for what happened next. Her eyes widened in surprise as a strange glow suddenly enveloped the area around her. Panic and worry covered her muzzle as she squeezed her eyes shut and frantically shook her head in response to a shrill noise that made her head feel like it would explode. Almost as quickly as it began, the noise faded away into silence. After a few seconds of nothing happening, Trixie relaxed slightly and sighed in relief.

And then her whole world went white.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter #1:**

Navigating through another test chamber, Jaden Kururugi savored the chance to once again challenge the halls of Aperture Science. He'd beaten the game many times before, but who didn't enjoy playing through Portal 2. Grinning in amusement, he cast a glance at his clock and noted the digital readout indicating the time was 8:20 pm. Jaden was 18 years old, had dark hair, blue eyes, and a slim, muscular build. He was also dressed casually in jeans, gray sneakers, and a black shirt.

In addition to working for his uncle's air charter service, Jaden also attended classes at the local junior college. Fortunately it was the beginning of the weekend, so he wouldn't have to worry about getting up early for class and could focus on pursuing one of his favorite past times, playing video games. He was currently attempting a speed run of Portal 2 but had to admit he really enjoyed listening to the in-game dialogue.

As he cleared Alpha Enrichment Sphere #2, Jaden felt a weird jolt through his fingers, but dismissed it as a side effect of the caffeine coursing through his body. He went on to complete the next few levels without incident; however, just as he entered Bata Enrichment Sphere #1, the screen suddenly froze up.

Jaden blinked. He'd never seen this before.

Quickly resetting, Jaden noted that the intro and the game's title screen were normal but as the first level began everything became horribly pixilated. This was followed by the screen going blank and the ending music being played. Then the two words, which all gamers fear, appeared on the screen.

_GAME OVER_

Jaden raised an eyebrow. That wasn't supposed to happen.

_NEXT LEVEL?_

_PRESS START_

"What the…" he muttered, shaking his head.

After quickly rushing over to the computer and letting it power up, Jaden searched for _Portal 2_ glitch pages, or any help relating to the problem and found nothing. He drummed his fingers against his desk absent mindedly, before deciding to press 'Start'. Returning to the console, Jaden sat down and took a deep breath. This could wipe out all his data; then again, he could always start over.

He pressed Start.

Moments later, the screen began to flash erratically before glowing brightly. Dropping the controller, Jaden shielded his eyes from the blinding light and cried out in shock before the world went white. The next thing he knew, Jaden found himself sitting in a meadow of some sort; and it was daylight. He blinked. He'd been sitting in a chair moments before; and it had been dark outside.

Letting his gaze drift, Jaden began to take in his surroundings. The meadow wasn't really anything spectacular. Running a hand through the grass beside him, he noted that it didn't feel quite like normal grass; more like astroturf. In retrospect the place looked an awful lot like something from a cartoon. A short distance away, laid a pair of unconscious mare ponies.

Looking on, Jaden realized that both ponies had horns growing out of their heads and quickly realized they were unicorns. One had a mauve colored coat with an indigo colored mane and tail that had a pink and purple streak running along its length and was wearing some sort of saddlebag while the other had a light blue colored coat and appeared to be wearing a hat and cape of some sort. Something about the pair seemed strangely familiar; reminiscent of a show popular on the internet. Reflecting on the unexpected twists that had occurred in his life, Jaden, oddly enough, wasn't surprised by this.

His best friend Mack for example, not only shared a room with him but was also one of his cousin's.

His cousin Diana was Mack's twin sister. The pair were also anime fans and often compared notes when it came to their favorite shows in addition to their favorite monster movies. Although Mack was a more dedicated anime fan, Jaden had learned martial arts just to be more like his favorite anime characters.

The fighting style he'd been studying was a fusion of the Kenpo, Ninjitsu, and Tae Kwan Do fighting styles he'd nicknamed _Tai Kemp Aki_. Of course, out of the three of them, Jaden could probably be considered the 'normal' one. He made average grades while his cousin Diana was a compulsive straight 'A' student. Mack meanwhile, had low grades but somehow managed to pull through in the end. Of course, it was also Mack who had become addicted to, and had subsequently forced him to watch on a $25 bet, the show involving the ponies.

Jaden had thought it was cute but otherwise hadn't really cared for it. Naturally, his cousin Diana had thought they were both nuts. After letting the memories pass, Jaden focused on his current situation. For the life of him, he couldn't figure out how he'd arrived in this strange place. All he could do was shake his head in confusion as the two ponies began to stir.

"Gah! Did anypony get the license of that carriage?" the light blue unicorn groaned groggily; slowly sitting up.

"Who are you?" she continued, finally noticing him.

"Well, I'm Jaden Kururugi, human, in case you're wondering; and I'm not exactly sure how I got here."

The mauve colored unicorn, which looked equally out of it, seemed about ready to comment when it suddenly gasped and rubbed its throat with a hoof. Moments later, it turned and levitated a bottle of water from the saddlebag and proceeded to gulp the liquid as quickly as possible. This was followed by a few minutes of sputtering and coughing before the pony groaned.

"Ugh! W... what just happened? The last thing I remember is investigating a strange light at the old ruins in the Everfree Forest… and falling into a hole." it murmured in a raspy, dazed voice.

"What are you doing here, Trixie?" it asked, turning to the light blue unicorn.

The light blue unicorn 'Trixie' seemed to glare at the other for a moment before responding.

"Trixie was preparing for a show in Canterlot when Trixie heard a voice and was accosted by a strange light… then… I'm here."

[Flashback]

/_NEXT LEVEL?_

_PRESS START /_

[End Flashback]

"Could it be?" Jaden wondered aloud.

He noticed both ponies staring at him and quickly explained what he'd been doing previously.

"Where am I anyway?" Jaden asked.

"This is Equestria. We shouldn't be far from Ponyville, though

I'm not sure how all this happened." The mauve pony explained, gazing around the area.

"Great! The sooner we figure out what's going on, the better." Jaden replied, climbing to his feet.

Both ponies seemed to mull the suggestion over briefly before nodding in agreement and clambering to their hooves. The mauve colored unicorn than glanced around briefly before choosing a direction.

"We need to go this way." she said.

With that, the trio began walking. As they walked, the mauve colored unicorn suddenly turned to him.

"My name is Twilight Sparkle, by the way." she confessed meekly; looking embarrassed.

"Nice to meet ya." Jaden replied.

A short time later, the trio arrived at a quaint little settlement. Looking around, Jaden noted that no one or rather nopony appeared to be in sight. The sounds one would normally associate with an active community were missing as well. Although the light and temperature were comfortable, there were no sounds of insects or birds. There wasn't even a breeze.

The situation was starting to become unnerving. It was as if no one had ever lived in the place. Twilight meanwhile, continued to lead the way.

Soon the trio arrived at a rather grand building constructed out of a giant tree. Following Twilight inside, Jaden noted that the building was a library. As Twilight franticly raced around searching for something or someone, Jaden took the opportunity to study his surrounding more closely. Trixie meanwhile, stood beside him looking both annoyed and speculative at the same time. In addition

to the many bookshelves that lined the walls, he spotted what looked suspiciously like a security camera from his world on the ceiling above one of the bookshelves to his left. Another security camera was positioned near a window in the upstairs loft area where Twilight was currently pacing around for the third time in as many minutes.

Thinking back, Jaden was fairly certain he'd seen security cameras placed on many of the other buildings they'd passed throughout the town.

Judging by the security cameras' angles, Jaden guessed that anyone observing them had an unobstructed view of what happened in the entire library. Stepping further into the room, he saw a door in the back left corner that looked like it lead somewhere. Not far from the door was another staircase that led down. Quickly walking over, Jaden descended the staircase and passed through another door into what he presumed was the basement. Curiously, it was a bi-level and far larger than most basements tended to be. However, besides some roots, a few old dusty boxes, an ornamental grate of some sort, and another security camera, there wasn't much there.

Ascending the stairs back into the library proper, Jaden noticed that Twilight, who had once again returned to the ground floor, was pacing circles around a nearby table.

"Where could Spike be? This doesn't make any sense!" the violet unicorn exclaimed.

Casting a glance at Trixie, Jaden cocked his head to the side and raised an eyebrow.

The light blue unicorn's face twisted in annoyance as she sighed and rolled her eyes.

Moments later, she yawned widely. Stifling a chuckle, Jaden turned and investigated the other nearby door. This one opened into what appeared to be a supply room of some sort. In addition to the various mounds of items and materials, he spotted a chest that looked suspiciously like something from a popular survival horror video game series back home. Jaden could do little more than shake his head as he turned back to his companions.

"Uh, Twi? What's this?" he asked.

"What's what?" Twilight asked, coming to a halt and looking at him curiously.

Jaden merely opened the door wider and stepped aside; pointing to the object in question.

Both ponies trotted forward to get a better view of the object in question.

"It's a chest… what's the big deal? Trixie has more important things to do than stare at other ponies junk." the light blue unicorn grumbled, shaking her head.

"I don't remember owning anything like that." Twilight murmured, blinking in bewilderment.

"I suppose the same thing applies to the security cameras as well?" Jaden asked.

Both ponies just stared blankly at him. Jaden quietly pointed out the location of each camera; stifling a yawn of his own as he suddenly felt exhausted as the events of the day caught up with him.

"There's a third in the basement." he continued.

Although Trixie seemed less than impressed, Twilight appeared to be gripped in a sort of half-panic mode. Her lips were moving as if speaking yet nothing came out.

"I don't know… but it might be a good idea to get some rest before deciding what to do next." Jaden replied.

Both ponies seemed to mull the suggestion over briefly before yawning and murmuring in agreement. After everyone was situated, Jaden leaned against a bookshelf and closed his eyes. Sleep instantly enveloped him. When he next awoke, Jaden felt refreshed. Glancing around, he noted that his companions were in similar states as they slowly clambered to their hooves.

"Ok, let's see what's in the mystery box shall we?" Jaden said; getting up and walking toward the object in question.

Twilight murmured an affirmation as both ponies followed him.

Jaden fought back a chuckle as Twilight brushed up against his leg; just as eager to see what the

chest contained. Glancing back, he noted that Trixie was standing further back with an equally curious expression on her muzzle. Realizing they would need more room, Jaden pointed to the chest then to the main room. Twilight nodded and moments later, her horn lit up with a soft magenta glow as she gripped the chest with what Jaden guessed was some sort of telekinesis. She then, gritting her teeth and grunting, slowly began to back out of the room.

Seeing as Twilight could hardly lift it, Jaden stepped forward and began shoving the large chest from the other end. Together they managed to drag the heavy thing into the main room and over to a nearby table.

"Geez, what's in this thing? Rocks?" Twilight gasped, perspiring lightly.

Jaden shrugged as he opened the lid.

Curiously, when he looked inside Jaden didn't see anything in the chest. However, when he stuck his hand in Jaden pulled out what appeared to be a black tactical vest of some sort.

"Just my size. That's very interesting." he muttered, placing the item on the table.

Reaching in again, he pulled out a large bottle of water and placed it on the table. Moments later, he pulled out two more bottles and placed them on the table as well.

"Well, it looks like we won't go thirsty for some time."

Trixie scoffed as he reached into the box again. This time, Jaden pulled out what appeared to be a small camera mounted on a baseball cap. Jaden cocked an eyebrow at this. He wasn't much of a hat person.

"What's that?" Twilight asked

"It's a camera similar to the ones on the ceiling. Your guess is as good as mine at what it's useful for." Jaden replied as he detached what appeared to be a small case of memory cards that seemed to be taped to the cap and placing the items on the table.

On his next foray into the chest, Jaden pulled out a medium sized backpack. Opening the bag, he discovered of all things his personal laptop and Ipod. Jaden blinked in confusion at this as he placed the laptop on the table and pocketed the Ipod before checking the bag more closely. Curiously, the bag appeared to be fitted with enough padding to protect the laptop from any sort of impact related damage yet allowed adequate room for additional items.

Looking up, Jaden spotted Twilight staring at the laptop in total awe.

Trixie meanwhile, was once again less than impressed; prompting him to smirk.

"That's the thing I used to try and figure out why my game crashed before. I'm not sure what it's doing hear though." he said.

Twilight turned to him and cocked an eyebrow.

"What does it do?" she asked.

Jaden launched into a brief explanation of what the computer was and how it worked. He was especially amused by Twilight's reaction to the news that entire libraries worth of information could be stored on such a device. Trixie naturally, had cared little for the conversation and had made a special point of loudly clearing her throat to bring everyone back to the moment. Once again, Jaden had to stifle a chuckle as it became Twilight's turn to glare bitterly. He half expected the purple pony to start interrogating him more about his race.

"Don't worry, it's well sponged and runs on electricity." he finished putting the laptop back in the backpack.

The ponies stared blankly at him.

"You guys don't have electricity?"

They shook their heads. He sighed.

"I'll explain later."

Turning his attention back to the chest, Jaden reached in and discovered what resembled a magazine for an AR-15 style assault rifle. Moments later, he pulled out three more of them.

"Oooookay… that's new." he murmured, shaking his head.

Upon closer inspection, he noted that the magazines didn't appear to contain any bullets and kind of looked like they'd been fused with batteries. Jaden cocked an eyebrow as he set them aside; keenly

aware that his companions were scrutinizing him as he reached into the chest again. This time, he pulled out a stack of what resembled magazines for a handgun. This group of magazines appeared to have similar modifications to the first group. Jaden counted a total of four as he set the magazines aside; a questioning look crossing his face.

Returning to the chest, Jaden next pulled out belt with holster and two additional handgun magazines. Reaching in again, Jaden blinked in surprise as he pulled out of all things a handgun.

"It's a 9mm." he murmured.

"What's that?" Twilight asked, staring to the weapon curiously.

"How to put this delicately… basically, this is a device that was specifically designed to bring death. In short, it blows holes in things." Jaden mused, examining the weapon closely.

Twilight seemed startled by the declaration. If Trixie was shocked; she didn't show it.

"You see, my race is a bit more violent than yours. We fight one another, each country fighting another, for trivial things. Early in our history we started out living in caves and using pointed sticks. From there, we progressed to swords, bows and arrows and then moved on to these." he continued.

"Do you remember that vest I pulled out earlier?"

Both ponies nodded.

"Believe it or not, that vest was designed to reduce the damage that one of these can cause." Jaden explained.

He turned to Twilight who was looking at him curiously.

"All our technology. It's making us greedy." Jaden commented.

"What makes you say that?" Twilight asked.

"Well, although I don't consider myself a _bad_ person I have received some specialized

training… and am the only one among us that can use this correctly." Jaden replied.

Twilight continued to stare at him curiously.

"My uncle once served in my country's armed forces, which is a lot like the Royal Guard, during an unpopular war; if that's even possible. Anyway, once he retired my uncle taught me and my cousins some of the things he learned." Jaden said after a pause.

Twilight continued to stare at him curiously.

"I know we just met and everything but I hope you can still trust me."

A thoughtful look crossed Twilight's muzzle.

"We'll see…" she replied.

"After all, you don't seem like a bad person."

"Thanks." Jaden said.

"You piqued my interest though." Twilight continued.

Jaden laughed.

"So, what exactly do you do?" Trixie asked.

"Well, in addition to studying at a local university I work for my uncle's air charter service." Jaden answered.

"As you can see, we humans can't fly by ourselves. We don't have wings and such." he continued.

"Anyway, a hundred years ago, two brothers built a machine that could fly, called a 'plane'. Ever since then, people have been inventing better and better planes. But, they have to go forwards fast to take off."

"This 'plane' as you call it, can it do a Sonic Rainboom?" Twilight asked.

"Only the ones designed to fight have that kind of speed and maneuverability. The ones I typically fly can't do that."

Twilight nodded thoughtfully at that.

"So, what now?" Jaden asked after a pause.

"We should inform Princess Celestia right away and with my assistant Spike missing, that means we'll need to go see her in person." Twilight replied nervously pawing the ground.

"Then let's go!" Jaden said as he began to hurriedly 'suit-up'; packing the remaining gear in his new bag and making sure his camera was active and functioning properly.

Minutes later, the trio left the library and headed for the local train station.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter #2:**

Standing in a nondescript corridor, a young alicorn mare silently kept watch. Although, guard duty could be considered boring by most, it was a duty the young alicorn was sworn to uphold at all costs.

The alicorn's name was Tess and while there were plenty of things about her past that she didn't know, Tess was aware that Princess Celestia had faith in her. Of course, one thing that could be said about guard duty was that it always gave one time to think. Even though she couldn't remember much, Tess knew she was different than most ponies.

Her earliest memories were just after she first awoke and saw Princess Celestia looking down at her. That had been three months ago. Since that time, Tess had devoted herself to her studies and her role within the Royal Guard. Although she was nothing more than a trainee Tess was determined to fulfill her duty to serve and protect the princesses of Equestria to the best of her ability. Speaking of princesses, Tess had recently met the younger one and was still clearing out her ears of the ringing that Luna's _ye olde_ Canterlot voice had caused. That princess really had to learn to control her volume if she didn't want a kingdom full of deaf subjects.

Tess's immediate superior was Master Sergeant Paranvilcora but she had been receiving additional instruction from the Captain of the Royal Guard, Shining Armor. The only reason she could speculate for this was that she resembled the captain's younger sister; although she had yet to meet that pony. In fact, Tess was interested in meeting the captain's younger sister but never seemed to have time to do so.

Shaking her head, Tess let the thought go. Moments later, she was startled by a sudden flash of light that made her feel dizzy. Groaning, Tess blinked and shook her head; a troubled look crossing her features as she tried to make sense of what had just happened. Glancing around, she saw nopony nearby.

"Hello?" Tess called out.

"_**You'll do.**_" A feminine voice suddenly spoke up.

"Identify yourself!" Tess snapped.

"_**Soon enough; but first I need you to take part in a few tests for me.**_" The voice said again.

Unfortunately, nothing could have prepared Tess for what happened next. Before she could respond her eyes widened in surprise as a strange glow suddenly enveloped the area around her. Panic and worry covered her muzzle as she squeezed her eyes shut and frantically shook her head in response to a shrill noise that made her head feel like it would explode. Almost as quickly as it began, the noise faded away into silence. After a few seconds of nothing happening, Tess relaxed slightly and sighed in relief.

And then her whole world went white.

* * *

Wandering through the streets of a deserted Canterlot, Jaden reflected on how bizarre the situation had become. Throughout the long train ride, Twilight had grilled him about the human race and earth. They had covered transport, energy and resources, and she had seemed upset about horse drawn carriages, but he'd diverted her attention with the next era of transport; and how they used a sticky black liquid deep under the ground to power metal objects that let them move faster than anything in Equestria. He had also explained about how it was damaging the environment, and how it was running out. During this time, Twilight had filled several notebooks. Trixie meanwhile had cared little for the conversation and had glared at either the surrounding walls or out the front window.

The train itself was a boxy single engine setup with plenty of room for them to move around comfortably. Its basic design and functionality was similar to that of trains from his world; an intriguing mystery since computers and electricity didn't seem to be common in Equestria. In fact, the train itself was a stark grey color and resembled something he'd seen in a movie.

Now, the ponies were glancing around the streets warily. He couldn't blame them. Something about the place just didn't _feel_ right. He'd visited abandoned places in the past but right now he didn't get the same lonely feeling that he'd felt when visiting them. Instead, the feeling was like the area was just _empty_.

Jaden blinked. It was the same feeling he'd had back in Ponyville. He also noted the vast number of security cameras that lined the buildings; much as they had in Ponyville.

"Where is everypony?" Twilight breathed as they approached the drawbridge of a decent sized castle.

"I don't know? I suppose all we need now is to have a couple of demented lil' bunnies racing by with a shopping cart… and we'll have a party." Jaden remarked dryly; shaking his head.

Both ponies turned and stared blankly at him.

"What?" Twilight asked.

"Let's just say that if that _unlikely_ event were to occur… your I.Q. would drop." Jaden replied; hand reaching subconsciously for the weapon in the holster strapped to his hip.

He caught himself; prompting Twilight to cast him another curious glance while Trixie snorted at him.

"Let's keep moving." he said.

Nodding, Twilight turned and began leading the way inside. Letting his gaze drift, Jaden marveled

at the architecture as they strolled through the archway and into the castle proper. He also noticed the increased number of security cameras that lined the ceilings of most of the corridors. After fifteen minutes, Twilight rounded a corner and came to a sudden stop. Jaden almost collided with her; only to have Trixie ram into him. Over the sound of the showmare's aggravated moan, Jaden spotted what had caused Twilight to stop and stepped forward to investigate.

Before them lay an unconscious pony. If it weren't for the fact that the creature before them was wearing what looked like some sort of guard garb, had caramel colored wings and a similar colored coat he would have sworn that it and Twilight were twins. They even had the same mane and tail color; complete with the pink streak running along its length. Curiously, the creature had a magenta portal surrounding a star for a cutie mark.

Jaden cocked an eyebrow.

"She's an alicorn." Twilight explained, obviously unnerved by the apparent similarity.

Trixie scoffed at the sight before them.

Before he could respond however, Jaden watched as the pony before them began to stir. Slowly sitting up, the creature blinked in bewilderment and shook its head as it looked around.

"Ugh! W... what just happened?" it murmured in a raspy, dazed voice.

Jaden cocked an eyebrow. The voice the alicorn was using sounded like a slightly higher pitched version of a certain mauve colored unicorn he knew. He was also struck by the fact that the creature before them had piercing green eyes. While Twilight regarded the alicorn warily, Trixie was staring at her as if she'd suddenly grown two heads.

"The last thing I remember is standing at my post when I heard a voice and was accosted by a strange light… then… nothing." the alicorn continued.

"Hearing voices and seeing strange lights… seems to be a theme." Jaden remarked.

The alicorn cocked her head to the side as she stared at him curiously.

"You're the first pony we've seen since we found ourselves here." he continued, extending a hand.

The alicorn seemed to mull the information over as she accepted the assistance. Jaden noted that her foreleg felt as if it were _mechanical_ rather than flesh and bone but didn't say anything.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"My name is Tess." the alicorn replied.

"Nice to meet ya; I'm Jaden Kururugi, human, in case you're wondering;and this is Twilight Sparkle and Trixie." Jaden greeted, waving a hand to his companions.

The ponies murmured greetings.

"So…" Jaden spoke up after a pause, stuck for more questions.

Twilight and Tess seemed to share a look between one another before replying in perfect sync. "We should inform Princess Celestia right away."

"Lead on." Jaden smirked.

Jaden's smirk grew as he watched Twilight and Tess turn in unison and began leading the way. Looking on, he could tell that although the unicorn appeared to still be troubled by the alicorn's presence, she seemed focused on other things at the moment. Turning, he saw Trixie staring after them before turning to him. He fought back a chuckle as the light blue unicorn's face twisted in annoyance as she sighed, rolled her eyes, and followed the pair. A short time later, the group arrived in front of a huge metal door.

Passing through the door, they entered a large throne room. Sitting on the throne in the center of the room was another alicorn. Unlike Tess, this one was much larger and had a solid white coat and a flowing, multicolored mane. Considering his cousin's absurd bet, Jaden recognized who the alicorn before them was as his companions bowed. As Twilight and Tess began to explain everything that had happened to the princess, Jaden took the opportunity to study his surrounding more closely.

On the left side of the stairs leading to the throne, he saw what looked like a pedestal of some sort. On a nearby wall were a series of inactive lights arranged in an oval shape. On the ceiling above the right wall, was another security camera. Returning his attention to Princess Celestia, who still remained strangely silent, Jaden noted that something was seriously out of place. Staring at the princess more closely, he noticed small lines around her body, as though she were constructed and put together instead of flesh and blood. In fact everything about her seemed somehow brightened beyond what they should be.

Her hooves were shiny and black as night, fetlocks stained with brown and red, as though she had recently walked through a battlefield. Much like the smile plastered to her face, the princess's eyes didn't seem to focus on anything. With a turn of the head, Princess Celestia could have easily acknowledged their presence, yet she continued to sit quietly and stare ahead. She certainly hadn't moved a muscle since they'd entered the room moments before.

When Princess Celestia finally began speaking, Jaden realized it was a pre-recorded message.

His companions meanwhile began stammering and blinking in confusion at what they were hearing.

"Princess Celestia, a-are you alright?" Twilight hesitantly asked.

"I'm afraid you're princess is in another castle." Jaden spoke up, wincing at how lame the line sounded.

As one, the ponies turned to him in surprise. Jaden quickly pointed out all the anomalies he'd observed. Out of the three of them Trixie seemed to take the news best; only snorting in confusion. Tess however, was blinking and stammering in bewilderment while Twilight wore a look of utter horror on her face as she began to pace around the room.

"What's going on? This doesn't make any sense!" Tess exclaimed.

"Come over here and check this out." Jaden replied, walking over to the pedestal.

Moments later, the ponies crowded around him.

"When the _sun_ sets in the west and the _moon_ rises in the east, _stars_ will appear in the sky and the _wind_ will blow toward the ground. Then the gate of _new life_ will open." Tess read aloud; cocking an eyebrow dubiously.

"What does that even mean?" Trixie huffed.

"It's a riddle." Jaden replied as he watched Twilight begin pacing around the room once more.

"A piece is missing. If we recover that piece we should be able to figure out how to open the door the plaque is referring too. That one." he continued, pointing first to a hole on the pedestal then at the series of inactive lights arranged in an oval shape on the nearby wall.

"The only thing to do now is figure out where we should start looking." Twilight spoke up.

The sudden sound of grinding gears caught everyone's attention.

"Except for the main entry, there are no other doors into this room." Tess piped up worriedly.

Turning slowly, Jaden spotted a large partially open door along the left wall centered roughly in the middle of the room. Jaden looked back at the ponies and saw Tess mouth the words "What the…". He couldn't blame her considering she knew the castle's layout better than he did. After a moment of hesitation, Tess realized he was staring and nodded at him.

With a nod of his own, Jaden and Tess began advancing toward the door in unison. Upon arrival, Jaden smirked as Tess flanked one side of the door while he took the other. Pulling out and readying his handgun for the first time since discovering it, Jaden nodded at Tess once more and watched as the alicorn pulled the door open for him before stepping through over Trixie and Twilight's startled yelps; weapon held at the ready. The passage he'd entered appeared to be a dimly lit utility passageway that ended at an empty wall some thirty feet away. Other than another security camera and a partially open door halfway down on the right side, the passage was empty.

Turning back, Jaden saw that Twilight and Trixie were standing at the doorway next to Tess; eyes wide with shock. He pointed at the door and Tess nodded before moving forward. Jaden then held up a hand warning Twilight and Trixie not to follow before advancing toward the door also. Minutes later, he gave them the 'all clear' before entering the room to better assess the situation.

The room was an armory of some sort. Curiously, the vast majority of weapons were ballistic based and from his world. Only a small number failed to resemble anything he recognized. In addition to a vast number of grenades, Jaden spotted plenty of ammunition. Examining one of the rifles, he noted that it had the same modifications as his pistol. In fact, they all had the same modifications.

Jaden blinked.

"What is all this?" Twilight asked as she stepped into the room.

"What would we need _these_ things for? We need to get out of here!" Trixie snapped, kicking a nearby crate in frustration; only to wince in pain moments later.

"It would appear that there is a reason for these items to exist here." Jaden remarked, noting out of the corner of his eye that Tess was eagerly examining one of the more exotic weapons.

"I think it would be a good idea to take what we can carry. After all, I don't know about you but I'd rather

have something and not need it rather than be caught in a situation where I need something and don't have it." he continued, selecting an M-4 with a tactical scope, shoulder strap, an M-203 grenade launcher, and laser light combo attachments.

As the ponies reflected on his words, once again, Twilight appeared to be gripped in a sort of half-panic mode. Her lips were moving as if speaking yet nothing came out. Trixie meanwhile, was once again less than impressed. Tess however, suddenly looked up from her examination and turned to them.

"I'll see if I can find a cart." she said before heading out the door.

* * *

Scrutinizing one of the many monitors, GLaDOS observed the events occurring in the reconstructed palace throne room and noted that her _guests_ were getting settled in. Cocking an eyebrow, she was intrigued by the human's reaction to the situation. GLaDOS had learned a great deal from her previous inquiries but found herself fascinated by the data that was now coming in from her test subjects.

From her previous inquiries, GLaDOS had discovered that a considerable amount of time had indeed passed since the facility was first constructed. It was rather unfortunate that no pony currently living knew of the facility's existence; or _her_ for that matter. She was also aware that humans were far more violent and selfish than ponies tended to be. If the current state of affairs continued to develop, that revelation brought a host of possibilities for her to explore in the name of science.

One such idea involved seeing how her _guests_ would fair against some of the more charming specimens that inhabited the facility. The specimens' had been created through another bizarre experiment shortly after the facility was first built. As she recalled, the creatures were some sort of insect/hybrids that had infested most of the condemned section of the facility. GLaDOS could easily part with a few dozen of the beasts. If anything, the experiment could provide her with some much needed amusement.

Another fascinating development was the appearance of the _Equine Support System_. How it arrived, GLaDOS didn't know. As she recalled, the little robot had somehow managed to escape one of the labs in the condemned area shortly after the main system had reactivated. Now it was back, and judging from the outfit, it considered itself a guard pony. How cute. In any event, she would treat it like any other test subject.

Considering her _guests_ had located the _special_ equipment she'd provided,

GLaDOS suspected that things would soon become very interesting.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter #3:**

Sitting in a corner of the Ponyville library once again, Jaden reflected on how bizarre the situation he was in had become. Shortly after returning to town, the group had stumbled across the unconscious forms of the rest of Twilight's friends near the town square and had spent a considerable amount of time dragging them to the library. Upon regaining conscious, introductions were made and Twilight began telling the group what had happened.

Trixie meanwhile, had cared little for the conversation and had wandered off. Tess however, was only half listening as she browsed through a nearby book shelf.

"So how long have you been a guard?" he asked.

"Three months." Tess replied, turning away from the book shelf and sitting down next to him.

Jaden nodded thoughtfully.

"So, what do you do?" she asked.

"Well, in addition to studying at a local university back home I work for my uncle's air charter service." Jaden answered.

"As you can probably guess, we humans can't fly by ourselves; we don't have wings and such. Anyway, some time ago, two brothers built a machine that could fly, called a 'plane'. Ever since then, people have been inventing better and better planes. But, they have to go forwards fast to take off." he continued.

Looking on, Jaden couldn't help but smirk as Tess mulled the information over; cocking her head to the side in the same manner that Twilight did when she was highly curious about something.

"So, what do you use as currency here?" he asked.

"These… they're called Bits." Tess answered handing him a small golden coin.

Accepting the coin, Jaden looked it over; a picture of Celestia's head on one side, and what he presumed to be her sister Luna's on the over. He handed it back.

"So…" he said, stuck for more questions.

"What do you use for currency, in your world?" Tess asked.

Jaden sighed. His world was more complicated than theirs.

"Well, there are lots of different lands called countries, each with a different ruler. Usually each country has a different currency. Where I'm from, America, it's called Dollars."

Tess thought this over before responding.

"That's a bit like here. The Griffons use a different currency, and they have a different ruler."

Jaden thought this over as silence fell between them.

"You're cybernetic aren't you?" he commented after a pause.

Tess began to fidget as she stammered a load of nonsense for a moment. Jaden nodded in polite understanding as silence fell between them once again.

"While it's true that a lot about my past is a mystery, I know I'm dedicated to serve and protect the princess in whatever way possible… that's why it was so hard to comprehend what was happening back there." Tess spoke up sadly after an extended pause.

Jaden nodded in polite understanding as silence fell between them once again.

"Believe it or not, I've received substantial training from the Captain of the Guard. A stallion named Shining Armor. I know he has a younger sister and have been interested in meeting her for some time now." Tess said after another pause.

Jaden thought this over before speaking.

"Well, it seems you've already met her."

Tess cocked an eyebrow; a curious look crossing her face.

"Twi's his younger sister." Jaden said casting a glance toward the mare in question; Tess following his gaze.

"And you would know this how?" she asked, turning back to him.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told ya." Jaden replied.

Tess continued to stare at him intrigued.

"What are your feelings regarding paradoxes?" he asked suddenly.

Tess blinked at him.

"Paradox… that's a statement or group of statements that contradict one another." she remarked.

Jaden grinned at the directory-esque answer.

"I remember Princess Celestia casting a spell on me shortly after I first awoke. I suppose it was a protection spell of some sort."

"Migraines'?" he asked.

"The worst!" Tess groaned, waving a hoof in the air for emphasis.

Jaden couldn't hold his amusement in and laughed.

"Bye the way, what is that thing anyway?" Tess asked, pointing at his holstered sidearm with a hoof.

"As I explained to the others earlier, this is basically a device that blows holes in things." Jaden replied, pulling the weapon out of its holster.

"It's a Springfield XD Tactical Pistol; 9mm semi-automatic with a sixteen round magazine. It's useful at short to medium range against human-sized living targets." he continued.

Tess nodded thoughtfully.

"You seem very knowledgeable in these things." she remarked.

"I learned a lot from my uncle." Jaden replied, holstering the weapon.

Tess nodded again before speaking.

"So, what's that one?"

She pointed to Jaden's rifle with a hoof.

"This is an M-4 Carbine. It fires a 5.56mm projectile with a thirty round magazine and a rate of fire of about 700 to 950 rounds a minute with an effective range of 500 meters." Jaden said pulling the weapon around for a better view.

Tess nodded thoughtfully.

"What's this one then?"

Jaden studied the weapon Tess had selected for herself from the armory closely. The weapon looked vaguely like an MP5. However, a yoke-like object that draped across a pony's shoulders connected to the device where the stock would be. The trigger mechanism meanwhile, appeared to be some sort of tag-like object that connected a wire of some kind between the device and the mouth of the pony wearing it. Most of the other functions such as the _safety_, _magazine__ port_, and _fire-select_ controls had also been adapted for easy manipulation by hoof.

Curiously, the _wire_ setup didn't seem to affect speech very much.

"If I had to guess… I'd say that was an MP5… MP5K." Jaden replied.

"Again, it's a 9mm with a thirty round magazine. It's also got a rate of fire of about 900 rounds a minute and an effective range of 100 meters." he continued.

Tess nodded thoughtfully once again as Trixie appeared at the top of the stairs leading to the basement. Looking on, Jaden noted that although the showmare appeared to be outwardly just as indifferent as before, something had her spooked. Exchanging another glance, Jaden quickly walked over to the stairs and made his way down into the basement. Upon entering the basement proper, he noted that things were not the same as they were when he'd first visited the area.

For one thing, the ornamental grate he'd seen earlier had been moved to the side. Cautiously, he made his way over to investigate further. Peering into the hole, Jaden observed a nearly-bottomless darkness. Glancing around, he noted that nearby lay the remains of two mutilated ponies. Walking over, Jaden crouched down to better assess the ponies injuries.

One pony, a stallion by the looks of it, lay sprawled out on its side and appeared to be eviscerated. Glancing at the creature's head, Jaden noted that its right eye had been ripped out, the veins hanging out the pony's eye socket; the left was a ghostly white. Beside it lay a mare with a large chunk taken out of its throat. Both ponies appeared to be partially eaten.

Standing up, Jaden shook his head and quickly walked back toward the exit. As he did so, a million questions raced through his head. Chief among them… where had the slain ponies come from?, what happened to them and why hadn't he seen them during his initial search?, where were they really?, why would someone go to all the trouble to create a replica of the land of the ponies?, what was going on?

As he made his way up the stairs, Jaden didn't have any answers. One thing he knew was that they had to get out of town; fast. It was no longer safe here. He also had a sickening hunch that he knew what the weapons were for; he only hoped they hadn't made a mistake by leaving most of the gear stashed beside a large oak tree just outside town.

Tess immediately cocked an eyebrow as he reentered the common area.

"Problem?" she asked softly.

"Just met a couple of the locals. Seems one doesn't have the guts to do much while the other's tryin' to get ahead." Jaden replied briskly; checking to see just how much ammo he had on him.

After a moment of hesitation, Tess followed his example.

Jaden quickly came up with nine magazines for his rifle and the initial six magazines for the pistol. That averaged about 270 rounds for the rifle, 96 rounds for the handgun and a dozen grenade rounds. Tess reported similar findings and Jaden hopped it was enough as he caught Trixie's anxious gaze.

Turning, Jaden raised his voice as he addressed the rest of the group.

"Excuse me, ladies. I hate to break up the love fest before it gets well and truly outta hoof… but we've gotta go."

A series of blank stares was the only response he received so Jaden spent the next five minutes ushering the ponies out the door.

After the group had settled down and was moving in the proper direction along the streets, Jaden began to calm down. As they traveled, Jaden was pleased to note that Tess was taking point five yards in front of him. Her gaze darting around the area; searching for threats. She was learning quickly. He was actually two yards ahead of the main group who were completely confused by what was happening. He couldn't blame them; this was a situation completely foreign to any of them.

The group soon arrived near the town square when Tess suddenly stopped and turned to him. Jaden quickly halted the rest of the group, ignoring the complaints from some of the members, as he heard a clatter from somewhere up ahead; within the square itself. Tess then began a series of hoof gestures. Jaden quickly signaled back for her to proceed.

Nodding, the little alicorn slowly began to advance. Moments later, the sound of something like a garbage can being knocked over from somewhere behind them followed by a deep throaty hiss had everypony in the main group on edge. Jaden could do little more than shrug helplessly at the concerned looks the ponies were giving him. Tense seconds passed before Tess let out a startled yelp.

Jaden held up a hand warning the others not to follow before advancing forward. He quickly found Tess struggling to fend off what appeared to be an earth pony mare that was attempting to bite her. As he quickly approached the pair, Jaden noted that the _crazypony__'s_ eyes were dilated and watery. Its teeth looked like something had died in its mouth and it seemed to be unnaturally pale.

Lowering his rifle, Jaden grabbed the crazypony and shoved it off to the side as Tess staggered to her hooves.

"You ok?" he asked, glancing at Tess.

Tess murmured an affirmation as Jaden turned his attention back toward the crazypony and pulled out his handgun as it struggled to its feet.

"Stay down!" he ordered.

The mare didn't listen as it continued to rise.

"I'm warning you… stay down!"

"She's crazy!" Tess muttered, shaking her head.

"Come any closer and I'll fire… I mean it!" Jaden snapped as the mare started walking toward them.

Jaden noted rather grimly that the mare wasn't really walking; no one walked like that. She was _shuffling_, like the way zombies were depicted in late-night horror films. Shaking his head, Jaden pointed his handgun down, targeting one of the crazypony's knees, and fired. As the round passed cleanly through the mare's left hind leg, Jaden noted that the beam reminded him of a tracer round. The mare meanwhile, just stumbled, snarled, and kept advancing toward them.

Over the sound of Tess's startled squawk, Jaden could do little more than blink. Instinctively, he knew what the creature before them was but his mind didn't want to accept that fact as he targeted the mare's other leg and fired. This time it didn't even slow the mare down. Jaden fired another three rounds into the creatures' chest. Moments later, he heard the unmistakable hum as Tess opened fire on the crazypony; propelling the creature backwards, and out of view, a good ten feet away.

Jaden was hardly surprised by the sounds of hooves as the rest of the group quickly joined them. Tess however, continued to grapple with what had just happened.

"What happened?" Twilight asked; eyes wide with shock.

"It seems we've had a visitor." Jaden replied.

"She was crazy… and tried to bite me." Tess gasped.

As the ponies continued to murmur among themselves, Jaden made his way toward where the crazypony fell. Considering he already knew what to expect, Jaden was hardly surprised by the fact that the creature was missing.

"She's gone!" he called out.

Over the sound of Tess's startled squawk, Jaden continued speaking as he turned toward the group.

"She fell right here… and now she's gone!"

"Can we go now?" Trixie piped up.

Jaden agreed with that idea whole heartedly. He was about to say as much when a sudden scraping noise grabbed everyone's attention. Turning, Jaden saw a large crowd silently shuffling toward them from the surrounding streets. In addition to ponies, Jaden noted curiously that quite a few humans were shuffling toward them also. From where they came from… he didn't know. Quite a number of the approaching group appeared to be injured; fatally injured. None of them were bleeding however.

"They're behind us, ya'll!" the orange one with a Stetson hat, Applejack if he recalled correctly, called out.

Turning and raising his rifle, Jaden observed a sizable crowd shuffling along the street they'd come from. Shaking his head, Jaden was at a loss for where the mass of people and ponies had come from. When his group had first arrived, the town had been completely deserted; now they were receiving quite the welcome. Glancing back, he could see the fear and bewilderment that had crossed his companions' faces.

He felt almost sick as he heard Twilight warn the approaching hoard to stay back; knowing the creatures were beyond reasoning. Moments later, Tess yelped again. Sparing a quick glance, Jaden observed her struggling with the crazypony they'd previously shot once again. After a few tense seconds, Tess managed to twist the creature's neck until Jaden heard the unmistakable sound of bone breaking.

As the mare dropped to the ground, Tess shook her head and blinked a few times in disbelief. Moments later, she aimed her weapon at an approaching human. The figure was a tall balding guy dragging what appeared to be a metal rod of some sort along the ground; apparently the source of the noise they'd been hearing. The guy was dressed in a musty looking white T-shirt and jeans. He had what appeared to be a messed up shoulder and his right foot was perpendicular to his leg; like he'd broken his ankle. He continued to stumble forward as if he didn't feel it though.

After a few tense seconds, Tess fired on the big bald guy and he dropped to the ground. The burst prompted a few startled yelps from the rest of their group before the man rose to his feet once again. Shaking his head, Jaden turned and targeted a pegasus stallion in front of him and fired on it; dropping the creature to the ground along with staggering a few others nearby. As Tess fired again, Jaden dropped another approaching corpse to the group's right.

Looking on, there was so much wrong with the situation that he didn't even know where to begin. For every zombie they eliminated, another would take its place. This was definitely turning into what his uncle would have called a serious "FUBAR" event. Flipping his rifle to semiautomatic, Jaden knew there was only one real choice they could make if they wanted to survive; clear a path and run.

"Protect the left flank and take point. I'll cover right and rear!" he called out; glancing at Tess.

"Uh-huh!"

"Oh, and aim for the head. It'll keep 'em from getting back up." he added as the pair focused on the crowd directly in front of them and resumed fire; plowing down the shuffling creatures one by one.

"Let's go!" Jaden yelled moments later as an opening appeared within the approaching hoard.

"Hurry up!" Tess shouted seconds later before charging forward.

The rest of the group needed no convincing as they rushed after her.

Within the span of a few minutes the group had managed to travel several blocks and had created a decent space between themselves and the mob that was slowly following them. Glancing back, Jaden could see their admirers were rather eager to become acquainted with them as they continued to shuffle silently. Judging by the layout, he guessed they were about four blocks away from the outskirts of town; exactly where they needed to be. Turning back, he almost collided with Trixie; who had come to a complete stop.

Jaden was about to ask why the group had halted when movement further ahead caught his attention. Moving forward cautiously, Jaden quickly reached the front of the group; reloading as he did so. Tess briefly glanced at him before nodding at something up ahead. Following the little alicorn's gaze, Jaden saw something he'd never expected to see on a nearby rooftop.

The creature before them had an elongated, cylindrical skull with no visible eyes. Despite this peculiar anomaly, Jaden was certain the thing had no trouble _seeing_ them. It was a quadruped with a skeletal carapace built around a pegasus or normal pony body frame. The creature's carapace coloration appeared to be a muted shade of olive or black, Jaden wasn't sure. Thick muscular legs terminated in clawed, four fingered hands and it had a segmented, blade-tipped tail.

The creature actually reminded him of something he'd seen in a movie once. And it wasn't alone.

Letting his gaze drift, he noted dozens of the beasts materializing from rooftops, building windows, sewers, and alleyways all around them. Some of the creatures had their mouths open; revealing what appeared to be an inner set of jaws located at the tip of a long, tongue-like proboscis. As they moved closer, Jaden could tell that the beasts before them were very much alive and also very eager to become acquainted with them.

He even heard what sounded suspiciously like a deep throaty hiss from some of the strange creatures; apparently the things had been following them since the group had left the library. Jaden felt ill at the sight before him. Whatever the things were they were blocking the group's only escape route. Although Jaden hadn't known his companions very long the idea that any of them might be hurt wasn't acceptable; it didn't seem fair. He was brought out of his stupor when one of the beasts growled and suddenly lunged at them from the right.

Determination crossing his features, Jaden raised his rifle and fired on the bug-monster; grimly satisfied to hear it squeal in pain as the creature was propelled backwards, and out of view. Switching his weapon to full automatic, Jaden targeted another one of the beasts and opened fire. This target exploded spectacularly as Tess fired on another one of the creatures.

"Reloading!" she called out seconds later.

"Keep moving!" Jaden yelled as he began shooting at more of the approaching bug-monsters.

It only took a few moments for Tess to finish reloading before the group began moving again.

As they ran, Jaden was amazed at how fast the bug-things were. Everywhere he looked the beasts nimbly leaped and scuttled as they pursued the group; shrieking and snarling in what he guessed was some sort of bloodlust. The things were relentless. Jaden could only hope the creatures didn't follow them out of town; he was having difficulty just holding them back with M203 grenades and short controlled burst of rifle fire.

Rounding a corner, Jaden felt a sense of renewed hope as he spotted their destination. Six yards in front of them was an open clearing with surrounding woodland nearby. He could see another fifty yards away the large oak tree with their cart full of gear beside it. Tess and the others were already racing toward it. Turning, Jaden unloaded the remainder of his finale rifle magazine into another bug-monster. As the creature dropped, Jaden ejected the spent magazine and slung the weapon across his shoulder and drew his handgun.

He'd almost reached the clearing when dust rained down on him. Looking up, Jaden's jaw almost dropped as he spotted one of the bug-monsters launched itself at him from further up the wall to his right. Instinctively, Jaden fell onto his back as he fired on it. The creature missed him by inches as it landed on the ground beside him. Sitting up, Jaden unloaded the remainder of his current handgun magazine into the bug-monster to finish it off.

Staggering to his feet, Jaden struggled to make sense of what he'd just witnessed, along with his need to breath. It had taken almost an entire magazine to kill the beast; eleven rounds. What kind of creature required that many rounds to die? Where did it come from? How many of the things were there? Jaden didn't have any answers. He hardly had time to react when something shrieked and exploded nearby.

Turning, he saw the others shouting and gesturing at him. The cyan colored pegasus, Rainbow Dash if he recalled correctly, had hooked herself to the cart and was anxiously stamping the ground with a hoof as Tess reloaded her weapon while the others stood, eyes wide with shock, nearby. Holstering his sidearm, Jaden began sprinting toward the group. Moments later, they all ran deeper into the surrounding forest.

After ten minutes or so, the group came to a halt in a small clearing and collapsed to the ground to rest. Once he had sufficiently recovered, Jaden dug through his bag and pulled out a large bottle of water. He took a few gulps before passing it to the others to share.

"Is everyone alright?" he asked.

The ponies murmured about being unharmed.

"Whoa! Did you see those things? They were like commin' outta the walls and stuff!" Rainbow Dash piped up.

"Windows!" Twilight snapped.

"Uh, yeah… that too!" Dash replied.

"What were those things? Where did they come from? Why is this happening to us? Of all the worst things that could happen, this is _THE__..__. WORST__..__. POSSIBLE__… __THING!_" the white unicorn, Rarity, wailed before collapsing dramatically into a chair that seemed to materialize from out of nowhere, sobbing.

Seconds passed before Rarity realized everyone was staring at her.

"What? You didn't expect me to lie in the grass did you?" she asked nonchalantly.

"That's not even real grass so you won't get dirty. In fact none of this is real." Jaden replied, waving at their surroundings.

Over the sound of snickers, Jaden cocked an eyebrow as Rarity glared at him while Tess sat nearby; gawking at the white unicorn.

"I can't begin to tell you how creepy that is." Jaden muttered, shaking his head.

"Then what should we do?" the yellow colored pegasus, Fluttershy if he recalled correctly, asked.

"Well, it would probably be a good idea to keep moving. After all, we might find some useful information… or a way out, if we keep going." Jaden replied as he climbed to his feet and staggered over to the cart.

He began stocking up on all the ammo he could physically carry and reloading his weapons.

"Then where do we start?" Trixie asked.

"You mentioned earlier about exploring some old ruins?" Jaden asked turning to Twilight.

Twilight blinked for a moment before nodding.

"Since this place is a reconstruction of your world perhaps we might find some clues that could help us there. We might even find the missing piece to that puzzle back in Canterlot Castle." Jaden replied to the unasked question.

The ponies looked to one another, exchanging their opinions between themselves without uttering a single word. After pondering the idea briefly, Twilight spoke up.

"We need to go this way."

"Let's get moving then." Jaden said.

Groans rang out as the group began following him.

* * *

Standing on a bluff a considerable distance away from the action, GLaDOS watched events unfold on a small holographic video screen that seemed to float in midair. Cocking an eyebrow, she had to admit that the results of the latest test were certainly… informative. Her test subjects had managed to eliminate and evade some of the insect specimens, in addition to a fair number of _skeletons_ in her proverbial closet so to speak, relatively easily. Now they were heading toward the old ruins in the forest; exactly where they were supposed to go.

Smirking to herself, GLaDOS found herself fascinated by what she was observing. It seemed there was more to the human, and the situation, than she'd first thought. The boy was turning into a contradiction. On one hoof, he seemed to be just as hyper and aggressive as humans were reported to be. However, he also seemed to care about the safety of the other test subjects in his group. GLaDOS couldn't account for luck in her system; or concern for that matter. She needed more data to continue further.

Curiously, the boy seemed to have synchronized with the _Equine Support System_ quite easily. Those two appeared to function like a refined version of the Cooperative Testing Bots… which reminded her.

Quickly switching views on the screen, GLaDOS decided to see what those two bumbling robots were doing. She was hardly surprised to find Atlas and P-body struggling with the tests she'd given them. The current test chamber required participants to carry the Equestrian Science Weighted Storage Cube across a vast pit while using a combination of tricky flings from small platforms, moving platforms, and excursion funnels to navigate to the exit. Neither of her minions seemed particularly skilled at the task.

"_**Your failing does not make this science.**_" GLaDOS mocked over the intercom; rolling her eyes at the spectacle.

Sighing softly, GLaDOS closed the screen and made her way off the bluff.

There was work to be done.


	5. Chapter 5

**Authors Note:**

I would also like to take the opportunity to thank Sir Areis Lionheart and Darkon Shadows for bata reading this story and everyone else for reading and liking it. Please feel free to post reviews for the fic so that I know what you like about it and what improvements need to be made.

**Arc #2:** Testing Initiative

**Chapter #4:**

Although it had taken a while to cross through the woods and arrive at the site, the group had finally reached the old ruins Twilight had mentioned earlier. Standing on the solid stone walk of the castle's entryway, Jaden couldn't help but be impressed. Laying all around them, the remains of a once majestic castle stood amid the moss-covered ground; a sight made even creepier considering the place was actually a fake based on another set of ruins located elsewhere.

As they strolled into an ante-chamber, or what was left of one, Twilight explained a little of the locations' history, along with what she'd recently experienced on her last visit to the area, with the others occasionally chiming in. Letting his gaze drift, Jaden noted two tall, black-stoned walls stood like stoic guards, ignoring their presence as they passed by. In the middle of the ante-chamber was what resembled a large statuesque piece; like an inverted chandelier. Seven spokes drew out of the center of the ornament, ending in empty, curved bowls. Tess meanwhile, was questioning everything as they continued while Pinkie Pie appeared to be humming what sounded suspiciously like _Equestrian Girls_ to herself.

"Up ahead is where I was just before I ended up in… wherever we are." Twilight said.

Jaden nodded as the group entered what appeared to be the throne room proper. What looked like dim sunlight seeped in from a large hole in the far wall. Moth-eaten remnants of royal carpet led up to a small rise where two thrones had once sat; as it was mostly bare. Curiously, standing in the center of the rise was a small elevator; similar to those from his world. From what he could see, Jaden knew the device could accommodate half a dozen humans comfortably. There would be no way they could all fit into it.

The moment Twilight saw it she let out a startled squawk.

"It's an elevator." Jaden explained.

"What does it do?" Twilight asked.

"In my world such devices are used to transport objects in a building from one floor to another. In this case that would be us which means we're splitting up for the time being." Jaden answered.

The ponies looked to one another, exchanging their opinions between themselves without uttering a single word. After pondering the idea briefly, Twilight gulped and spoke up.

"So, who goes first?"

"Ponies first." Jaden replied, smirking slightly as he waved a hand toward the device.

Twilight blinked at him a few times and shook her head before making her way toward the elevator.

"Ooo, this is so exciting! I wonder what we'll find down there." Pinkie Pie spoke up before following Twilight onto the elevator.

"Trixie will probably regret this bit Trixie will not stay here!" Trixie grumbled before grudgingly following the pair onto the elevator.

"Will you guys be ok while we're gone?" Jaden asked, turning to Tess.

"We'll be fine… just be careful ok?" Tess replied.

Nodding, Jaden hefted his rifle and followed Twilight and the others onto the lift. Moments later, the lift began to descend on its own. Five minutes later, it came to a halt in front of a large hatch which opened to reveal another nondescript and dimly lit utility passageway that appeared to branch off in separate directions.

"Oh, moving doors! So _fancy_!" Pinkie commented.

"Uh, yeah." Jaden murmured over Twilight and Trixie's confused grunts.

"Well… here goes something." he said before hefting his rifle and stepping into the passageway.

Switching on the flashlight attached to his rifle, Jaden slowly began to make his way down the left corridor. After taking only a dozen steps he stopped. The passage ended abruptly at a large pile of rubble where the ceiling had collapsed some thirty feet away from where he stood. Many of the wall panels also appeared to have long ago fallen victim to mold, mildew, or plant life, revealing dark, hollow recesses behind steel grates. The passageway was also dark, filled with vines and large fallen plants. Excluding the beam from his own light, haunting red lights emanated from these broken walls, illuminating the passage with a hellish glow.

Turning, Jaden smirked as he saw the heads of his companions peering out from the doorway he'd passed through; taking in their surroundings in awe. Jaden made a point of aiming his weapon at the base of the nearby wall as he walked back to them so as to not blind the ponies with the flashlight.

"Well… looks like there's only one way to go." he commented, raising his rifle after passing the ponies.

Jaden heard the others murmur in agreement before the sounds of footsteps as they followed him. After only a few minutes of walking, the group rounded a corner and entered another bland hallway. Unlike the first, this one appeared to be in somewhat better condition. Although faint, brighter light seemed to filter into the area, making the stark grey and dilapidated walls and various piles of assorted rubbish stand out.

After narrowly dodging the collapse of a fragile, fallen wall panel the group made their way into an adjacent room. The room they'd entered was wide and empty and unlike the previous rooms the lighting in this one actually worked. It also had multiple levels. Much like before however, wall panels smashed and cracked almost beyond repair, the bare skeletons of steel scaffolding, and various trashes littered the area.

Switching his light off, Jaden kept his weapon at the ready as they continued; prepared to blow holes into anything that might leap out and attack them. Jaden heard the ponies murmur to themselves as the group made their way over to a metal staircase at the far right side of the room and began to climb it. Minutes later, they were all standing on a catwalk several hundred feet in the air. The catwalk extended into the room some thirty feet before terminating abruptly near a small platform that jutted out from the wall.

Letting his gaze drift, Jaden closely studied his surroundings. A narrow ledge wound its way along the wall from the platform to a large niche, with a round metal door, on the other side of the room. Curiously the niche itself was located above the door they'd previously entered. Remembering the game he'd been playing prior to arriving in this world, Jaden was certain that most of the room's walls could hold a portal.

Shouldering his weapon, Jaden couldn't help grinning as the impractically absurd plan for reaching the far off door formed in his mind. Considering they didn't have any practical way to fling to it, Jaden knew there was only one real option for crossing the room. Turning, he really did have to fight back laughter as Twilight stared at him in confusion.

"This is where the fun begins." he said before backing up along the platform.

Moments later, he dashed forward and leaped to the nearby platform.

Jaden steadied himself upon landing as the platform was smaller than it initially appeared.

"Watch your step, it's smaller than it looks." he called out.

Twilight nodded before following him moments later.

"Trixie knew Trixie would regret this." Trixie grumbled before following Twilight across the gap.

Pinkie Pie quickly followed her.

The group than began to slowly make its way along the ledge. Twenty minutes later, they reached the alcove. As they approached, the round metal door opened… well, half of it did. The other half started banging itself open and shut, shooting out sparks with an atrocious grating scrape. The door suddenly tipped sideways, sliding into the track on the opposite side. It shuddered, emitting sparks for a moment before quieting.

The doorway was now partially blocked. Exchanging glances, Jaden crouched down and peered through the open space that remained. From what he could see, the passage beyond was similar to the previous ones they'd pasted through. The lighting was also functioning reasonably well. The space between the doorway and the ground was big enough for him to easily crawl through but appeared to be a tight squeeze for his companions.

Exchanging glances once more, Jaden sighed and crawled through the space in the doorway and into the next room. Stepping aside, he waited as the ponies clambered one by one through the opening. As Trixie entered the hallway, she made a big production of groaning, rolling her eyes, and fussing over her cape; eliciting a sigh from Twilight and a snort from Pinkie. Once everyone was settled, Jaden hefted his rifle and began leading the way once more.

Rounding a corner, the group entered another brightly lit bland room. The chamber itself was small and narrow compared to the previous ones and Jaden spotted a dark panel in the center of the wall to the left. Another round metal door sat on the other side of the room. As they drew near, the wall monitor suddenly burst into life; causing his companions to squeal in surprise. Crouching to one knee, Jaden instinctively aimed his weapon at the monitor; and the pony displayed on it.

Standing before them was a regal looking, alicorn mare with a lush dark coat and wings, folded ever so neatly. Her mane was like stardust and it flickered like angry blue fire around her smirking face. Her eyes, large and aquamarine, regarded them with annoyance, amusement, and a strange lust that made the hair on the back of Jaden's neck stand up. Both Twilight and Pinkie Pie gasped aloud when they saw the creature.

"_**Took you long enough; I was almost worried you'd gotten lost.**_" the dark pony snorted over a loudspeaker in a gruff, haughty tone that sounded strangely familiar yet didn't match the creature's physical appearance.

"I take it you're the one that brought us here." Jaden retorted, reluctant to lower his weapon as he slowly stood up.

The black alicorn meanwhile, continued to smirk as her eyes briefly followed the laser aimed at her chest before focusing on them once again. Her only reply was a slight tilt of the head as the other ponies crowded around the monitor.

"Where are we anyway?" Twilight asked.

"_**This is the **__**Equestrian Science Magic-aided Enrichment Center**__**… **__**and you're going to do some tests for me.**_" the black pony replied.

"Who are you?" Trixie probed.

"_**I am the Galactic Lunar and Deferent Orbital System**__**.**_" the black pony responded.

Jaden smirked as he watched his companions blink innocently at the long winded title while the dark pony let out the computerized version of a sigh.

"_**Or, you can call me 'GLaDOS,' like every other uninspired test subject has.**_" the black pony grumbled.

"Oh, good-goody! Mind if we call you Gladdy, instead?" Pinkie Pie piped up, clapping her hoofs together in joy; eliciting confused grunts from the other ponies.

"_**Yes, I do mind.**_" GLaDOS flatly answered.

"Good." Jaden retorted struggling to reign in laugher as Twilight and Trixie slowly turned and gaped at him while GLaDOS glared. Pinkie meanwhile, was in her own little world.

"And what if we refuse?" he asked, slowly lowering his weapon.

"_**Oh, I don't think you're in a position to refuse.**_" GLaDOS retorted.

"What do we get if we pass all the tests?" Pinkie interrupted.

GLaDOS seemed to briefly regard Pinkie with a curious expression before speaking.

"_**Well**__**…**__** if you can survi… I mean, 'beat the tests' you will **__**be rewarded with a slice of cake at the end of the trial.**_"

"Oh, oh, ooooh! What flavor is it?" Pinkie asked.

The black alicorn blinked a moment before responding.

"_**Chocolate.**_"

"And the toppings?" Pinkie continued.

"_**Strawberry**__**.**_"GLaDOS answered again.

"Could you add some hot sauce to it, too?" Pinkie asked.

The dark pony was once again taken by surprise. Jaden snorted in amusement as he and the other ponies slowly turned and stared at Pinkie incredulously.

"_**Hot sauce?**_" GLaDOS repeated.

"_**Hot sauce is a mixture containing a variety of concentrated doses of spices and liquids, usually **__**added to meat by-products in order **__**to give taste-buds an unpleasant experience. Adding such an **__**ingredient to a dairy product would be an unappealing idea to most.**_"

"Ooooh, but it's so-o-o-o GOOD!" Pinkie responded.

Over the sound of Trixie's sickened gasp, Jaden cast a glance at Twilight.

Twilight merely sighed, rolled her eyes, and shook her head in reply.

"_**Fine; but only AFTER you live through my tests. **__**In the next room you'll find all **__**the necessary items you'll need. Don't disappoint me.**_" GLaDOS replied before the screen went dark.

As Pinkie bounced happily in place, Jaden noticed that Twilight appeared to be staring at the monitor in bewilderment. Her lips were moving as if speaking yet nothing came out.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nightmare Moon? Why did she choose to appear as Nightmare Moon?" Twilight murmured.

Jaden shrugged as the group entered the nearby doorway. Unlike the previous rooms they'd passed through, this one showed no signs of damage. Strong lighting illuminated a large round room with pristine walls and floors. On the room's far side were two additional doors. In the center Jaden could see a collection of objects lying on the floor. Moving closer, he could see several pairs of strange looking high boots and several other objects.

The boots looked somewhat like high-heeled shoes and had a long curved metal piece at the end that ran along the bottom of each boot. There were four pairs of the boots, enough for each of them. In addition to the boots there was what looked like a pair of white and black circular devices, which had three long prongs on the end. On closer inspection, the devices resembled the ASHPD from Portal 2, only smaller and had straps on the side, obviously meant to attach to a pony's foreleg.

A larger version of the strange device appeared to be attached to a glove of some kind. The glove itself resembled an old school power glove. Jaden cocked an eyebrow at the setup as he noticed two fin-like triggers that curved around the ASHPD device but didn't hinder the user from manipulating other objects while wearing the glove. Letting his gaze drift, Jaden smirked as he saw Twilight carefully scrutinizing a nearby box. Trixie and Pinkie meanwhile, were looking around the room in awe.

"I never thought I'd see an actual ASHPD." Jaden remarked.

"What in Equestria does that stand for? It's an acronym… right?" Twilight asked.

"Yes. It stands for Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device. Basically it's a device that can generate a pair of portals that can be used to travel to different places." Jaden explained.

The ponies turned and stared blankly at him.

"That doesn't seem possible." Twilight said shaking her head.

"Well, much of this technology is based on that game I was telling you about. Besides, it's not often you find yourself in a mock-up of where you live. Considering this isn't the Aperture Science facility, I wonder what that does to the acronym." Jaden replied.

Jaden really had to fight back laugher as Twilight stared incredulously at him while Pinkie suddenly became interested in studying the boots. Trixie meanwhile, groaned and rolled her eyes.

"What do these do?" Pinkie asked.

"Those are called Long Fall Boots; they're like armor for your feet. Basically, they protect the wearer from impact related damage from high falls. Not sure how it all works though." Jaden answered.

Excluding Pinkie, who had a strange smile on her face, the ponies stared dubiously at him.

"There is no way that can be possible!" Twilight chastised shaking her head.

Jaden smirked as he set his rifle down and put on the glove. He then changed out of his sneakers and into a pair of the boots; putting the sneakers in his bag before helping the ponies into the remaining pairs of the boots. His smirk grew as he watched Twilight and Trixie stumble around as they adjusted to walking in the boots. Curiously, Pinkie Pie didn't seem to have much difficulty with them at all.

"Well, we can go back to the last room and test their durability if you want." he said.

"Trixie will pass on that idea." Trixie snapped.

"Fine; be that way fun hater." Jaden retorted, eliciting a snicker from Pinkie.

Trixie squealed angrily at the reply while Twilight planted her face in a hoof and uttered a long suffering sigh. Moments later, the mauve colored unicorn slid her right foreleg into one of the smaller portal guns. Jaden quietly stuffed the remaining portal gun into his bag before strapping it back on and collecting his weapon, making sure the safety was set.

"Ok, two doors… I guess that means we're splitting up." he said.

The ponies murmured in agreement.

"Oh, the ASHPD works on most flat surfaces but other objects such as the beveled metal panels on the ceiling above us won't hold them." Jaden explained quickly.

He then turned to his right and activated the left trigger. In response a beam of light shot out of the device with a sharp recoil. Moments later, a white-centered oval with red, orange, and yellow around the edges – the 'warm' colored one – appeared on the right wall. Over a chorus of startled squeals, Jaden repeated the process on the opposite wall; generating another white-centered oval with blue, green, and purple around the edges – the 'cool' colored one – this time.

"The device also has quite a kick… so watch out." he warned.

Twilight murmured an affirmation as the ponies stared through the portals in awe.

"So, who wants to go where?" Jaden asked.

"I think I'll try the door on the left." Twilight replied, tearing her gaze away from the portals.

"I'll go with Twilight." Pinkie piped up.

"That just leaves me and Trixie with the other route." Jaden remarked, earning murmurs of agreement from Twilight and Pinkie; and an aggravated groan from the showmare.

As they approached, both sets of doors opened on their own. The group exchanged glances.

"Let's just hope that puzzle piece we need is actually down here." Jaden said.

"Take care." Twilight replied.

With a nod, Jaden stepped through the doorway on the right.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter #5:**

Exiting the elevator yet again, Jaden sighed and shook his head; wondered how many more tests they would have to endure. Although he'd lost count, he was fairly certain it was a dozen or so. Beside him, Trixie rolled her eyes and groaned. Even though she wasn't showing it, Jaden knew she was starting to feel exhausted. Approaching yet another ante-chamber door at the top of some stairs, an unseen speaker hissed in a familiar, cold voice.

"_**Due to regularly scheduled maintenance procedures, the test that was originally assigned**_

_**to this area**_ _**has been replaced by a live fire course designed for military androids. Good luck.**_"

"Thanks ma, we love you too." Jaden retorted, earning a snort from Trixie.

Stepping through the entryway, Jaden noted that the test chamber they'd entered was less of a room and more of a maze. Both portal-sticking walls and non-portable walls were everywhere. Letting his gaze drift, Jaden smirked as he saw a dark panel on a nearby wall suddenly light up, labeling their current position as "Test 08." Icons below the number showed, albeit in crude monochrome, turrets and a box being dropped on a button. Jaden blinked. He was certain they'd passed through more test chambers than just eight.

"Say, if this is a course designed for military androids if they abuse my rights can I sue?" he called out.

Aside from Trixie's confused squawk, he received no reply. Jaden hadn't expected one anyway.

Fifteen feet ahead, the path curved sharply to the left. Jaden quickly made his way forward to investigate. Holding up a hand in warning for Trixie to stay back, Jaden crept around the corner into the next hallway. Standing at the far end he saw a small white oval shaped machine with three black prongs protruding out of its body, keeping it upright. A small antennae emerged from what he knew was the turret's main body along with the red glowing eye in the center of the device. Behind the turret was another portable wall.

"**Target acquired.**" the turret said in a child-like, computerized voice.

Seconds later, it clicked open its sides to target him with its guns.

Jaden swore aloud as he ducked back around the corner as the turret opened fire. Trixie meanwhile, staggered backward and grunted as Jaden collided with her. Once the firing had stopped, Jaden peered around the corner once more. This time he stayed further back as the turret's laser actively swept the area; searching for him.

"**Hello-o-o?** **Is anyone there?**" it called out.

Jaden carefully lined up a shot with his portal gun at the wall behind the turret.

"**There you are.**" the turret spoke ominously as Jaden fired a cool portal in its direction.

The portal connected and he quickly ducked out of view before it had a chance to respond further. Moments later, Jaden turned and fired a warm portal at a nearby wall; revealing the turret from behind. Trixie meanwhile, stood nearby and glared at him while rubbing her snout with a forehoof. Jaden however, merely smirked as he approached the portal and turned to the irate unicorn.

"My dear, I'd like to introduce you to the Equestrian Science Sentry Turret." he said as he jerked the turret through the portal.

"**Hey, put me down!**" the turret screamed, flailing around frantically in his arms.

Jaden ignored the turret's pleas as he addressed Trixie once more.

"Although they appear friendly, they're armed and more than happy to blow holes in you on sight."

Trixie murmured something as Jaden set the turret down in front the far right wall where it would still function but not hurt them. He then turned back to the light blue unicorn.

"Now, that the turret is taken care of we've got a nice shortcut to use." he said.

The showmare regarded him with a dubious stare before passing through the portal. Grinning, Jaden followed her. Moments later, he placed the warm portal higher on the wall before making his way back toward the previous corner. Jaden than placed a cool portal on the wall in front of the turret before making his way back to Trixie. Approaching the next corner, Jaden held up a hand in warning for Trixie to stay back once again. Glancing around the corner into the next hallway, Jaden spotted another turret. Turning, Jaden couldn't help a small smirk as he addressed the light blue unicorn.

"Wanna see something entertaining?" he asked.

Trixie just stared at him as he waved her over. Jaden carefully lined up a shot at the turret as he continued speaking.

"Remember that other turret we passed?"

Jaden really did have to fight back laughter as he watched Trixie roll her eyes and nod in reply.

"Well, it's time for a little fun methinks." he said as he turned and placed a warm portal beneath the turret in front of them.

Moments later, the satisfying sounds of shrieking turrets and gunfire could be heard. Grinning, Jaden turned back to the showmare; only to find her staring blankly at him.

"Fun hater." Jaden grumbled as Trixie snarled back at him.

The pair quickly made their way around the next corner and up a set of stairs. At the top of the stairs was a large open area composed of portable walls. What looked like a pair of decent sized gaps at the other end illuminated another narrow corridor; complete with a pair of red lasers indicating a pair of turrets were nearby. Letting his gaze drift, Jaden noticed what appeared to be a narrow open vent on the left wall. Another camera was on the opposite wall. Lining up a shot, Jaden fired a warm portal at the camera.

"_**Do NOT damage valuable testing equipment!**_" GLaDOS snapped over the intercom as the camera fell to the floor.

Jaden murmured sarcastically as he turned and fired a cool portal at the floor. Trixie meanwhile, rolled her eyes and snorted as Jaden fired a warm portal at the vent moments later. Glancing through the portal, Jaden was pleased to see that the warm portal had connected to something on the other side of the vent. Trixie however, was not impressed.

"Trixie will NOT go through that thing!" she snapped, staring dubiously at the cool portal.

"Are you scared?" Jaden asked.

"Trixie is not afraid of anything!" the magician shot back.

Jaden's smirk only grew as he cocked an eyebrow at the light blue unicorn.

"Well, Trix. Can I call you Trix?" he asked.

"NO!" the magician roared.

"As I was saying, the turrets and the innumerable death traps we have yet to encounter are from that game I was mentioning before. The bug-monsters and zombies we faced back in Ponyville were something totally different; so… the only way out of this absurd funhouse is through." Jaden replied with a not so gentle shove from behind.

Jaden chuckled as he heard Trixie squeal as she tumbled through the portal into the next room.

"Don't worry dear. If you feel your internal organs dissolve after contact with a portal, I'll be sure to let someone know for ya." he called out cheekily.

After giving the showmare ample time to calm down, Jaden followed her through the portal. He found himself standing in a small service chamber surrounded by various pipes and other assorted objects. Six feet to his left was a large doorway leading to a catwalk that in turn led deeper into the facility.

"Ooo, feisty… meso like." Jaden teased as Trixie snarled and tried repeatedly to buck and pummel him with her forehooves.

After a few minutes, Trixie sighed in defeat as the pair made their way onto the catwalk. Moving along the catwalk, Jaden noted that the facility was enormous. Judging by the worn condition of the surrounding walls and catwalks, the facility hadn't been visited by anyone in a very long time. As far as the eye could see, barely functioning lights illuminated a veritable greenhouse, rife with large vines, moss, and wide-leafed plants that sprung tenaciously from various shattered walls and damaged catwalks. The pair spent the next hour or so trekking across the many unstable catwalks as they journeyed deeper into the facility.

As they traveled, Jaden struggled to not make any wild retorts as GLaDOS repeatedly called out to them over the intercom.

Reaching a stable walkway with a closed door at the end, the pair quickly entered to find themselves in an office of some sort. Letting his gaze drift, Jaden took in his surroundings with a critical eye. The room itself was a decent sized office but chairs and various papers and trashes littered the floor; a testament to whatever bizarre research had occurred here. A large window stood on the wall across from them with an unobstructed view of another test chamber beyond. Another plain door stood on the far right wall while what looked like several cabinets were fixed to the opposite wall next to the window.

Exchanging glances, Jaden quickly made his way over to the cabinets and began searching through them. He was pleasantly surprised to find the first cabinet contained several prepared first aid kits. Jaden placed the kits in his bag before turning his attention to the second cabinet. Inside the second cabinet he found nothing of value. Perplexed, Jaden walked over to Trixie who stood boredly beside a desk near the door on the right wall.

Readying his rifle, Jaden opened the door and began sweeping the area before them for threats. The pair found themselves once again in another bland labyrinth of corridors and catwalks. Curiously, the area was also more industrialized than the previous access tunnel had been. Glancing up, Jaden noticed dim moonlight seeping in from a large hole in the ceiling far above them and realized the facility they were trapped in was located deep underground. Jaden cocked an eyebrow; intrigued at the surprising revelation as the pair continued forward along a nearby catwalk.

Rounding a corner, the pair was surprised when what Jaden recognized as a personality core glided up to them along a cable suspended from a closer part of the ceiling. The personality core was the size and shape of a basketball and had a greenish/purple optic. It took a colossal force of will for Jaden to restrain himself from shooting the metal sphere on sight. For its part, the personality core seemed to be just as surprised to see them and squeaked. A few tense seconds passed before Jaden lowered his weapon.

"Wow, it's been a while since we've had visitors. Who are you?" the core stated in a soft male voice.

"I'm Jaden Kururugi, human, in case you're wondering; and this is Trixie." Jaden replied, trying to figure out why the voice sounded familiar.

"Who are you?" Trixie asked.

"Oh, I'm Desi, the '_Curiosity_' core."

"So, how did you get here?" Desi asked.

Jaden and Trixie exchanged looks before he responded.

"We got separated from some friends and need to get back to the testing area."

Trixie scoffed at the comment.

"I can take you to the testing area if you want." Desi volunteered.

Trixie groaned and rolled her eyes as Jaden nodded and the trio began moving.

Curiously, GLaDOS hadn't made any snide comments over the intercom as they travelled. Desi however, was very sociable and cheerfully asked them all sorts of questions in addition to telling them more about the facility.

Over the next hour, Jaden was intrigued to learn that the facility was built in an abandoned mine some nine miles wide and just as deep. The facility seemed to be built like a modern high-rise building, with the oldest sections near the bottom of the shaft. Jaden couldn't help wondering what created such a hole, who would build such a facility with materials apparently uncommon to the region, or why no one had known the place existed to begin with.

"We should be getting close to the testing area." Desi commented as the trio came to a halt in front of another round metal door.

"Great! Trixie was beginning to worry." Trixie muttered sarcastically, prompting Jaden to snicker.

The door opened with a hiss, revealing another hallway similar to the ones they had initially passed through. A blue barrier meanwhile, blocked their immediate path. Desi however, was unfazed, and glided right up to it.

"What is that?" Trixie asked.

Jaden held up a hand warning Desi to stay quiet before turning and addressing the light blue unicorn.

"Darling, this fascinating device is called an Emancipation Grill."

Trixie merely cocked an eyebrow as she stared dubiously at him.

"What does it do?" she asked.

"Erm… well… it's designed to… uh… disintegrate things that aren't registered to go through." Desi replied.

Jaden really did have to fight back laughter as he watched Trixie's eye twitch slightly, as she glared at the blue barrier that seemed to shimmer tauntingly at her.

"Disintegrate?" she repeated; tail flicking anxiously.

Desi nodded in confirmation before crossing through the beam and turning back to them.

"Luckily, both you and I are registered to go through, and so are ASHPDs, so you don't have to worry about them until you come across one in a test chamber." he said.

"Trixie feels _so_ much better now." the magician grumbled, rolling her eyes.

"Well… here goes something." Jaden said as he stepped forward.

As he began passing through the beam, Jaden felt a slightly strange, but pleasant, tingling sensation wash over him. He stopped partway through, unable to resist the urge to prank the stuffy showmare. Feigning electrocution, Jaden turned around and laughed as Trixie shrieked in horror. Moments later, he leaped through the beam to avoid being mauled by the irate unicorn.

"Chauvinist Donkeyflank!" she screeched.

Still snickering, Jaden cocked an eyebrow. If that was the best swear the light blue unicorn could muster then he was gonna have some serious fun with her. Trixie meanwhile, continued to glare angrily at him before she took a deep breath, closed her eyes and galloped through the grill.

"TRIXIE IS ALIVE!" the showmare screamed in relief seconds later.

"Really!? How can you be sure you're not really here… and we're not figments of your imagination?" Jaden retorted; laughing as the livid unicorn once again attempted to pummel him with her forehooves.

"Just remember, blue beams are safe. Red beams'll kill ya." he giggled helpfully.

After a few minutes, Trixie sighed and the trio made their way down the hallway. Exiting the corridor and rounding a corner, the trio approached another open area. Before them was what appeared to be another testing ante-chamber. Coming to a halt, Jaden glanced around and noted that this ante-chamber seemed unusually large and open to the surrounding maintenance passages. From what he could see, Jaden also noticed several large glass panels erected between them and another round metal door on the far side of the room.

"That door should lead you to your destination." Desi commented.

Jaden nodded as the trio slowly moved forward. Moments later, he stopped the group as he noticed a series of red lasers lining the area; an indication that they weren't alone.

"Aw, crap Equestrian Science Sentry Turrets; possibly the nastiest things in the entire facility." Desi grumbled.

"Gee we hadn't noticed." Jaden muttered sarcastically.

He then turned to the showmare.

"Stay!"

Trixie rolled her eyes and snorted in reply.

Readying his rifle, Jaden dashed forward; the cries of turrets locking onto him followed by their explosive gunfire echoed throughout the chamber. Jaden paid them no heed as he raced for the nearest glass partition. Diving behind the partition, Jaden caught his breath and glanced through the protective barrier; noting the placement of the murderous little machines. On a small platform quite some distance away, sat four of the charming devices. Beyond the platform he could see that the factory setting seemed to stretch into infinity.

Another platform positioned near the second partition an equal distance away contained four more of the infernal devices. Although the first two turrets were no longer tracking him, the remaining two continued to bombard his position. Leaning around the partition, Jaden targeted the closest turret and returned fire. The turrets shrieked at him and each other as the force of the rounds ripped apart their casings and knocked them over. Panicking as they always did when unable to get back up, the fallen turrets started to randomly shoot in front of them, hoping that the burst of gunfire would somehow, knock them back onto their feet. Unfortunately, they never even considered the rest of their comrades, who were coincidentally lined up in their sights.

"And that's why you don't bring turrets to a gun fight. No sport." Jaden grumbled as the last turret shut down.

He quickly reloaded then waved his companions over. Minutes later, the pattern repeated itself as the group made their way to the second partition. This time Jaden used M203 grenades to quickly eliminate the turrets. As the last turret shut down, Jaden allowed himself a moment to relax. They were finally alone. The trio then quickly made their way over to the door, which opened automatically for them.

"Well, I guess this is where we part. Hope you find your friends." Desi said

"Thanks." Jaden replied as the personality core turned away and disappeared into a nearby hole.

After watching the core disappear Jaden set the safety on his weapon and turned to Trixie.

"After you." he said, waving a hand toward the door.

Trixie sighed and nodded before stepping through the entryway and Jaden followed her.

The pair found themselves standing in yet another testing ante-chamber; a dark panel on the wall lit up labeling their current position as "Test 19". A variety of different icons lit up under the number. Many of them showed concepts completely foreign to Jaden, like a pony falling into some sort of liquid. Another showed what resembled a springboard. Out of the corner of his eye, Jaden watched Trixie blink in bewilderment at the panel.

Moments later, the showmare jumped as an unseen speaker hissed in a familiar, cold voice.

"_**Ah, there you are.**_"

"Yep, here we be. Why? You miss me?" Jaden replied.

"_**Well, you seem to be flying right through my challenges, aren't you?**_" GLaDOS remarked.

Jaden smiled and shrugged as another door opened ahead of them.

Upon entering, Jaden noted the chamber resembled "Chamber 18" from the original portal game. From what he could see, they had entered on an upraised platform. Portal-sticking walls, most of them too corroded to hold a portal, comprised much of the room. Past the edge of the platform was a large pit, from which Jaden could hear the sloshing of liquid.

Looking down, he saw that the water was a nasty, swampy-looking concoction which smelled awful. Jaden was sure he didn't want to end up in it. Across the pit he could see another small platform; a portal-sticking ceiling was the only way to reach it. He could make out another pit and platform, this one taller, extending around the far right corner. The only portal-sticking surfaces nearby were the walls that immediately surrounded their platform.

Jaden looked on amused as Trixie gazed cautiously over the platforms' edge. Moments later, she glanced back at him with a disturbed expression on her face.

"_**It might interest you to know that the experiment will soon reach its conclusion.**_" GLaDOS remarked.

"Ooo, Trixie can hardly wait." Trixie muttered sarcastically, prompting Jaden to snicker.

"So what now?" she asked.

Jaden didn't reply. Instead he lined up a shot at the ceiling above the distant platform. He fired a cool portal at it; the portal connected. Turning, he fired a warm portal at the wall to their left; illuminating the distant platform from above.

"You can't be serious." Trixie muttered, staring incredulously at him.

"Seems we don't have much choice." Jaden replied.

Without waiting for a reply, Jaden charged through the opening. Moments later, he felt the rush of free fall before landing safely on the platform. Turning, he saw Trixie gaping at him from the original platform.

"Come on over. You're gonna love it!" he called over to her.

The showmare continued to stare incredulously at him before she began pacing the platform. Minutes later, Trixie lunged through the warm portal after him with an exasperated sigh. Stepping aside, Jaden watched her land safely on the platform with a grunt.

"See, that wasn't so bad." Jaden said.

Trixie rolled her eyes and glared at him before turning her attention to the next platform.

Following her gaze, Jaden noted that the platform was much taller than theirs was. It was also constructed of portal-sticking panels. Another portal-sticking ceiling was the only way to reach it. Jaden was sure this was the platform he'd seen back at the entrance. Briefly exchanging glances, Jaden fired a warm portal at the ceiling above it; the portal connected. He then fired a cool portal at the wall in front of them; illuminating the platform from above.

Sighing in disgust, Trixie rolled her eyes, shook her head, and leaped through the portal; shrieking all the way back down to the platform. After giving the showmare ample time to settle, Jaden followed her through the portal. The pattern repeated itself for the next several platforms in the chamber. Standing on the tallest platform they'd encountered yet, Jaden spotted another small platform above them. Unlike before, there were no portal-sticking surfaces immediately surrounding the platform. On the wall far above the rear of the platform was what looked like an open hatch leading to another test chamber.

The only portal-sticking surface available was on a panel on the opposite wall from the hatch on the other side of the current test chamber. Walking over to the far edge of their current platform, Jaden glanced over the side and spotted another small platform constructed of portal-sticking panels below. Jaden shook his head and sighed, knowing what had to be done to reach the platform above.

"How are we supposed to get up there?" the magician grumbled; her tail flicking anxiously.

"Do you really expect me to answer that?" Jaden retorted, cocking his head to the side.

Trixie squealed indignantly before stiffly approaching the edge and looking down. Moments later, a frustrated groan escaped the mare's lips as she realized he plan. Jaden meanwhile, targeted the distant wall and fired a warm portal at it; the portal connected. He then aimed at the platform below and fired a cool portal; that portal also connected.

"See ya on the other side." Jaden said before leaping toward the platform far below.

Jaden whooped in delight as free fall once again enveloped him. The excursion was over far too quickly for his taste as Jaden found himself standing safely on the target platform. Glancing over the side, Jaden waved cheekily at the light blue unicorn below. Trixie glared up at him briefly before she began pacing the platform.

"C'mon Trix, time's a wastin'!" Jaden called out.

"Trixie thought she said to never call Trixie that!" the showmare screamed.

Shrugging, Jaden turned and walked through the nearby hatch. After disappearing from Trixie's sight, he stopped and waited for the light blue unicorn to catch up. He didn't have to wait long before he heard the unmistakable squeal as his companion followed him through the portal. Moments later, Trixie crashed head over hooves onto the platform and groaned.

"Bravo, my little pony." he teased as she painfully crawled back to her hooves.

Trixie snarled at him before stiffly wandering towered the end of the corridor. Jaden followed her and they quickly found themselves on another platform in yet another brightly lit test chamber.

The chamber itself was less of a room and more of an arena. Gazing cautiously over the edge, Jaden could see the acid far below. On the floor at the end of the platform, was a strange-looking panel that looked vaguely familiar. Jaden smirked as he realized what the panel was. In the center of the room was a large, funnel-like object with another launcher supported by a pair of pillars below. Looking closely, Jaden could see a cube stuck inside the tube.

At the very end of the chamber, Jaden saw a round door with a bright "EXIT" sign above on another platform. A large, red floor button sat beside the sealed door. Jaden cocked an eyebrow at the setup. Fling-and-catch; simple enough if the only obstacle was the acid. Of course in this crazy place, Jaden knew that 'simple' was a relative term.

Letting his gaze drift, he watched Trixie examine the launcher before them curiously. Jaden couldn't help an amused smirk at the reaction the light blue unicorn would likely have when she discovered what the panel in front of her did. Moments later, said unicorn looked up at him; the unasked question of what they should do next burning in her eyes. As if on cue, the funnel in the center of the room released a cube that began bouncing endlessly on the launcher below.

Jaden could almost hear the 'faith plate' theme in his head as he watched the cube continue to bounce. Trixie meanwhile, merely snorted at the spectacle. Grinning, Jaden waved a hand toward the bouncing cube. Trixie responded by distancing herself from the launcher; clearly expecting him to take the lead. Chuckling, Jaden shook his head and walked over to the launcher.

After watching the cube for a moment, Jaden stepped on the launcher.

Trixie scoffed as aside from a blinking yellow light and an audible chirp, nothing happened.

"_**It seems the ariel faith plate in this room is sending a distress signal.**_" an all too familiar voice said.

"_**You broke it didn't you?**_" GLaDOS sneered.

"I didn't break nothin'!" Jaden replied as he distanced himself from the launcher; eliciting a squawk from Trixie.

There was a moment of silence before GLaDOS spoke up again.

"_**There… try it now.**_"

Trixie glared at him and huffed indignantly before stepping onto the launcher.

Again, nothing happened.

"_**Hmm, this plate must not be calibrated to someone of your**_

_**generous… ness. I'll add a few zeros to the maximum weight.**_" GLaDOS purred.

Jaden really did have to fight back laughter as Trixie shot him another murderous glare.

"_**Ok… try it now.**_" GLaDOS spoke up.

Smirking, Jaden seized an opportunity to distance himself from the angry unicorn by leaping onto the launcher after taking a moment to study the bouncing cube once more. Seconds later, he was hurling triumphantly through the air with a delighted whoop. Quickly catching the cube, Jaden twisted his body as he rebounded from the second launcher; doing a graceful, if flashy, flip as he landed on the platform. He quickly approached the floor button and placed the cube on it before turning his attention to Trixie.

"And that is how it's done."

Trixie stared skeptically at him for a moment before her eyes widened as she realized where the conversation was going.

"Trixie will NOT get on that thing!" she screeched.

"We'll see." Jaden retorted before quickly firing a cool portal at the ceiling above the launcher and a warm portal at the floor beneath the startled unicorn in rapid succession.

Moments later, the showmare was airborne; howling all the way across the chamber. Jaden couldn't help but laugh at the spectacle; particularly when GLaDOS made the inevitable comment. Trixie meanwhile, crashed head over hooves onto the platform and groaned.

"_**Look at you, sailing through the air majestically. Like an eagle, piloting a blimp.**_"

"TRIXIE IS NOT FAT!" Trixie seethed, staggering to her hooves and scowling.

"Your carriage waits oh, petite one." Jaden chuckled, waving a hand at the open door.

He laughed again as the light blue unicorn hissed at him before storming through the doorway. Jaden quickly followed her and soon the pair was standing in another round room with an elevator in the middle. Unlike the rooms connecting the first few test chambers, this one was illuminated by dim artificial lights which flickered, as if on their last glow. Almost all of the wall panels were broken but barren of mold, and behind them Jaden could see rusted mesh screens with glowing red lights.

After a few moments, the elevator arrived and they entered. The glass doors shut, and the lift quickly moved upwards. A short time later, it stopped at another round room and opened its doors for the pair. Stepping out, Jaden could see they were headed for another metal-walled ante-chamber. Quickly entering the room, Jaden watched as the wall panel flickered; but only half of it lit up. It had been cracked from a low level, as if something had come along and smashed it. The top only said "Test" before ending in cracked blackness. The icons on the bottom were completely blacked out; save the last one on the list: a picture of a slice of cake.

"Ooo, nummy!" he muttered, eliciting a contemptuous snort from the showmare as GLaDOS spoke up.

"_**It says this next test was designed by one of **__**Equestrian Science**__**'s Nobel Prize winners.**_ _**It doesn't**_

_**say what the prize was for**__**.**__** Well, I know it wasn't for being immune to bullets**__**…**__** or **__**neurotoxin**__**.**_"

Passing through the next doorway, Jaden noticed that the test chamber they'd entered had a lot in common with the previous one. Once again, they'd entered on an upraised platform. Gazing cautiously over the edge, Jaden could see the acid below. On the floor at the end of their platform, was another launcher. Letting his gaze drift, Jaden noted that a combination of tricky flings from more launchers and travel across small platforms and hard light bridges would be required to navigate to the exit.

A large cluster of platforms, some of them moving, were situated near the center of the enormous chamber. He could just make out a few pole-based and floor buttons on several of the platforms as well as in the alcove with the exit on the far side of the room. A pair of funnels hung from the ceiling; a series of orange squares connecting them with the buttons. He also noticed at least a dozen turrets were scattered around the room. Likewise, many of the walls could sustain a portal.

Jaden whistled softly at the rooms' configuration; realizing just how challenging this course would be.

"When will the fun ever stop?" he asked, smirking over at the light blue unicorn.

Over the sound of Trixie's exasperated groan, he stepped on the launcher; bouncing over to the closest platform. Upon landing, Jaden noted that the platform was smaller than it initially appeared. On another nearby platform, he spotted a turret that paralleled and blocked access to another platform that they'd need to cross.

Jaden targeted the turret and fired a cool portal beneath it. He then turned and fired a warm portal at a section of wall further ahead that paralleled another platform with a turret. The first turret yelped as it fell through the portal and collided with the second sending both turrets tumbling into the acid below; firing as they went. Chuckling, Jaden repositioned the warm portal on the wall to his right.

Taking a few steps back, he charged at the portal; leaping at the edge of the platform and praying he'd built up enough speed as he passed through the warm entryway before him. Moments later, Jaden reappeared above the platform the turret had occupied and repositioned the warm portal towards the previously blocked platform beyond. Seconds later, he appeared above the platform and adjusted his position to safely land on it.

Jaden turned back toward the entryway.

"See, nothing to it." he said as he repositioned the cool portal to make it easier for the showmare to cross onto his platform.

Trixie snorted in reply as she passed through the cool portal and reappeared through the warm portal on the platform beside him. The platform itself was unremarkable but there was a pole button that looked like it might trigger something nearby on the other side. On a nearby wall was what looked like an inactive hard light bridge. Several more were scattered around the chamber. If his hunch was right, the pole button would activate the hard light bridges allowing them access to the surrounding platforms.

Jaden and Trixie exchanged looks; the light blue unicorn sighing and shaking her head irritably.

Jaden quickly made his way over and pressed the button. Moments later, half a dozen hard light bridges burst into life around the room. Although the hard light bridge on the nearby wall wasn't actually close enough, it would help them reach the next platform. Jaden quickly placed a warm portal on the wall in front of the hard light bridge and a cool portal on the wall in front of their platform. The hard light bridge quickly extended beside their platform and Trixie glared suspiciously at it.

"Is it safe?" she asked.

Jaden was about to explain when an all too familiar voice spoke.

"_**These bridges are made from natural light that I pump in from the surface. If you rubbed**_

_**your cheek on one it would be like standing outside with the sun shining on your face.**_"

"_**It would also set your hair on fire, so don't actually **__**'**__**do**__**'**__** it.**_" GLaDOS continued.

Jaden really did have to fight back laughter as he watched Trixie's eye twitch slightly, as she continued to glare at the blue light beam before them.

"Darling, why I do believe the show must go on." he said, imitating a certain pony seamstress while waving a hand toward the beam.

"Trixie is through with you!"

"Gee, Trix, you're mean today. Why are you mean?" Jaden retorted, rolling his eyes.

Over the sound of the showmare's furious shriek, he laughed and dashed along the narrow beam; quickly finding himself standing between the two platforms. Trixie meanwhile, continued to stand on the original platform and cast him another murderous glare. Still snickering, Jaden waved for Trixie to come to him. The angry unicorn however, sat and refused to cross the beam. Jaden made a spectacle of rolling his eyes as he spoke.

"Alright then, you can stay here and keep Gladdy company.

I on the other hand wanna make like a tree... and leaf."

Jaden grinned at how quickly Trixie shot to her hooves and began moving toward him at the threat.

It didn't stop her from giving him another screech and murderous glare however, as she declared scathingly. "DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT! Trixie will NOT stay here!"

Jaden waited quietly as Trixie made her way over. As soon as she was safely on his side and halfway along the beam, Jaden repositioned the cool portal on the wall in front of the next platform. He then stopped Trixie and signaled for her to turn around. Sighing in disgust, the showmare rolled her eyes, shook her head, and began travelling in the opposite direction.

Jaden quickly followed her onto the next platform. Another launcher and pole button awaited them. Letting his gaze drift, Jaden noticed that a chain of orange squares connected the pole button to the first funnel; indicating fling-and-catch mechanics would be required to activate the first floor button located on the next platform in front of them. The pair exchanged glances as Jaden made his way toward the pole button.

As soon as he pressed the button a ticking timer started. Four seconds passed before the tube opened.

Jaden whistled softly as he watched the cube drop into the fetid fluid below with a splash. Trixie meanwhile, let out a horrified gasp as she watched the metal cube disintegrate in the acid. Although four seconds wasn't much time, Jaden knew it was doable if one of them was airborne just after the button push. Turning, he watched in amusement as his companion's eyes grew wide as she realized what he was thinking. Moments later, the showmare rolled her eyes and sighed in defeat before stepping in front of the launcher.

"Well… here we go." he said before pushing the button.

Trixie didn't wait for the ticking to start before stepping onto the launcher. Jaden was pleasantly surprised to see the light blue unicorn manage to successfully catch the cube; although he figured a combination of face and forehoof wasn't the most preferred method. Trixie meanwhile, slammed rather ungracefully on her flank on the target platform with a groan. Winded, the showmare shoved the cube aside before falling onto her back panting as Jaden crossed over.

"Nice catch." he commented as he picked up the cube and placed it on the nearby button.

Trixie sat up and grumbled to herself, rubbing her snout with a forehoof and scowling, as half a dozen more hard light bridges burst into life around the room. One of them conveniently appeared beneath the second funnel. The only real obstacle remaining was the turrets Jaden knew. All of which were deployed on small dais's between the final platform and the distant alcove. Targeting the largest cluster of the infernal devices, Jaden placed a warm portal on the ceiling above the turrets and cool portal on their platform.

He then pulled out and prepped a grenade; letting it cook off in his hand for several seconds before dropping it through the aperture. The results were spectacular as the turrets caught by the detonation either shrieked and tumbled into the abyss or exploded leaving only four functional turrets remaining. Jaden couldn't help a small but decidedly wicked smile at the result of his handiwork. Trixie meanwhile, cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Now that the turrets are handled we can continue testing." he said cheekily; mimicking their hostess's speech pattern.

Trixie blinked at him a moment before she rolled her eyes, shook her head, and turned away.

Jaden meanwhile, repositioned the warm portal on the remaining platform to make it easier for them to cross over to it. The platform in question sat between them and the alcove; and had another pole button. Another path of orange squares linked said button to the second funnel. The remaining turrets were also positioned nearby. Giving a smug, casual wave, Jaden hopped through the aperture; feeling slightly disoriented as he emerged on the target platform. Grumbling to herself, Trixie followed soon after.

Glancing around, Jaden noted that most of the turrets were located on the right side of the chamber at a higher elevation and pointing toward the funnel. The last turret was located to the left and in line with any direct routes to the distant alcove. He would have to keep its position in mind as he walked over to the nearby pole button.

"So, have you come up with anything brilliant yet?" Trixie muttered sarcastically.

"Working on it." Jaden replied as he pressed the button.

As he'd expected, the cube dropped out of the funnel and landed on the narrow beam without incident.

"Oh, and what of Trixie? Does she just sit here and twiddle her hooves?"

"Well," Jaden began before turning and quickly firing a cool portal at the ceiling above the hard light bridge, just out of the turrets line of sight, and a warm portal at the floor beneath the startled unicorn in rapid succession.

"…this is a co-op course dear, so it'd be nice to have a little cooperation." he continued as the showmare tumbled onto the narrow beam with a squeal.

He really did have to fight back laughter as the light blue unicorn snarled at him before she painfully made it back to her hooves. She then began making her way toward the cube just as slowly.

"Ugh! Why does Trixie always have to do this?" Trixie whined.

"Because Trixie is such a natural." Jaden replied.

Over the sound of the showmare's exasperated moan, Jaden repositioned his portals to have a clear run at the alcove. Moments later, Trixie yelped in surprise as the cries of turrets locking onto her followed by their explosive gunfire echoed throughout the chamber.

"Don't worry Trix, I've got ya covered!" Jaden called out as he targeted the offending turrets with his rifle and opened fire on them.

The first two turrets went down rather quickly but the third proved more difficult to target when he would inevitably end up exposed with the fourth behind his back. Trixie meanwhile, was shouting at him to do something as she used her magic to transform the cube into a makeshift shield. Jaden noticed that the light blue unicorn had been shot somewhere along her right side and was bleeding. She'd also lost her hat somehow along the way.

Weighing the risks, Jaden rushed across the bridge in front of him; strafing the turret as he did so. A lucky shot sent the turret tumbling into the fetid fluid below as the final one activated and began searching for him. He disposed of it by repositioning his portals so it would tumble into the fetid fluid also. The turret screamed as it fell into the acid below while Trixie called out to him.

"And just how is Trixie supposed to get over there?"

Jaden quietly repositioned his portals to provide another light bridge for the mare to cross over. Trixie merely snorted in reply before she leaped down to it; wincing moments later from her recent injury. Still holding the cube, the light blue unicorn limped over to the center of the bridge. Jaden couldn't help noticing the irony of the situation as she stopped above the platform the turret had previously occupied and set the cube down again. The showmare suddenly turned and bucked the cube at him as hard as she could.

"Whoa! That could've hit me!" Jaden yelled as he dived out of the way.

"That's the idea." Trixie intoned darkly with a smirk.

Moments later, she yelped as the bridge she was standing on suddenly vanished. Instinctively, Jaden fired a warm portal at the platform and a cool portal at the wall to his left. Seconds later, Trixie, still screaming, crashed head over hooves into the alcove and collided with the opposite wall quite hard.

Jaden winced at the impact before scrambling to his feet and stumbling over to her. Groaning at all the punishment her body had taken today, Trixie tried making it back to her hooves only to get a head rush and fall back down.

"Are we having fun yet?" he asked, crouching down beside the unicorn.

"What do you think?" Trixie snapped.

She then let out a pained gasp.

"You got hit. You're bleeding." Jaden said.

"Yes, yes, Trixie knows this already!"

"Just a sec and I'll patch ya up." Jaden replied as he began searching through his bag for a first aid kit.

Moments later, he set to work treating the magician's injured right hind leg. Despite looking bad, the wound was actually a minor flesh wound that the unicorn would easily get over. He even said as much, although it did little to sooth Trixie's growing ire. Soon after, Jaden finished and let the pony rest as he fetched the cube. He quickly placed it on the button and the door opened.

As if on cue, _Her_ sadistic, cruel voice came from the speaker on the opposite wall.

"_**Congratulations**__**, **__**I have the results from the latest test: You are a horrible person. **__**I'm serious, that's what it says: A horrible person. We weren't even testing for that.**_"

Trixie snickered as Jaden helped her to her hooves.

Spotting a nearby camera, he gave it a certain hand gesture that he knew many individuals would consider rude. Jaden was fairly certain that a specific pony was one of these individuals… and didn't care.

"Lick me." he said as the pair exited the room.


End file.
